See Me In Shadow
by StarlitxSky
Summary: Originally posted on my AO3 account on 06/04/11. Originally posted here on 10/05/11. Reposted now after mysterious removal because I felt like it. A 90s movie-verse tale for horror fans.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:** Our favorite ninja quartet is growing up, and Leo decides it's time to step back from fun things and focus on his training. This creates unexpected distance between him and his brothers, but during his sudden feelings of loneliness, he encounters a mysterious woman. She becomes a source of companionship and comfort for him, a light in his existence that seems to grow darker every day...but is she what she seems? Or has he put himself - and his family - in a danger unlike anything they've faced before?

* * *

 _Standing in the shadow of our lies  
To hide our imperfections  
Doing anything we can to hide_

 _Eyes wide open but still blind  
To see what really matters  
And insecurity won't go _

_See me in shadow_  
 **~Delain**

 **Chapter One**

* * *

Leo wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but he had suddenly stopped feeling like a part of his own family.

He could pinpoint the exact moment he first realized it; on a dull, uneventful night while they were out on patrol. A night where they had goofed off more than anything else, and it was on this night that Leo first noticed that something was different.

They were seventeen now, and their lives had changed so much in the last two years. They had put an end to The Foot, defeated Shredder, and even went through time. And one day, several months ago, something occurred to him; they weren't really kids anymore. They were growing up, and their main responsibility - to protect the innocent from those who would harm them - was nothing to take lightly.

His duty to lead them through this responsibility was something he took extremely seriously. That duty was something he wanted - needed - to carry out as flawlessly as possible.

One of his greatest fears was failing as a leader - or worse, putting his brothers in danger due to a lapse in judgment. So while his brothers sat and goofed around in front of the TV, he sat off in a corner and meditated. While they headed up to skateboard, he stayed inside and practiced his exercises. And when he wasn't training he was patrolling, either with or without his brothers - usually without.

He eventually grew used to his new routine, of keeping away from the things he enjoyed. His brothers had grown used to it, too - and the result was something Leo hadn't been expecting.

"I'm bored," Mikey suddenly announced.

They were perched on a darkened roof, watching the city streets below. They had patrolled for an hour or so tonight, but things seemed pretty quiet - they had been for a while now. But that didn't mean it would stay that way.

"It's early," Leo reminded him, "and we still have a lot of ground to cover."

Mikey let out a snort and leaned over the short wall that bordered the edge of the roof, letting his arms dangle over the side. "Dude, there's nothing happening tonight. Everyone's taking it easy; we should, too."

Leo opened his mouth to say something, but then Don darted forward and tapped Mikey's foot with his bo. "Hey," he said, voice playfully stern, "did you know that the arcade down the street puts all the machines that need repair in the back room on weekends? That locked, dark room that no one is allowed in to?"

Mikey hopped up faster than an over wound jack-in-the-box. "And a little minor repair is something you could do in, oh, five seconds or so, right?"

"And discreetly _un_ repair before morning," Don added with a grin. "So no one would ever notice."

"I'm way ahead of you, dude," Mikey shouted as he raced off.

Leo opened his mouth again - but they were already gone, leaping over the side and out of sight. Across from him, Raph was absently twirling a sai. He looked amused.

"I think I'm going to head back and have a talk with Splinter. Maybe I'll squeal on them while I'm at it; I haven't decided yet."

Smirking, he saluted and was gone. Leo stared at the empty place where Raph had stood as he pictured his brother sitting with Splinter, talking quietly amidst cushions and the glow of candles - an image so warm and comforting he couldn't help feeling a little jealous.

Raph was calmer these days, more relaxed and centered. Leo wasn't sure what they talked about, but Raph drifted to Splinter's room a lot these days. Whatever they discussed, Leo was glad; Raph was a lot less tense lately. He joked more. He acted...happy.

Mikey once called Raph 'the lone wolf in the middle of the pack', but those days seemed to be gone. Raph was much more comfortable with the idea of not facing everything on his own - that it was okay to lean on his brothers once in a while.

These private talks had been happening between the two of them for months, so it didn't surprise Leo that Raph would rather spend an evening with Splinter than stay out here - but Mikey and Don running off together did surprise him, a little.

The two had always been close - as close as any of them, at least - but they didn't spend any particular amount of time together. They were as opposite as can be; Don was the brain, and Mikey...wasn't. Mikey was a proud extrovert, Don was quiet, reserved, even a little shy.

But that helped them balance each other out. Don curbed Mikey when he was getting too carried away, and Mikey prodded Don when he was too wrapped up in his scientific tinkering.

It had always been that way, and Leo had never minded - until tonight. The two had gleefully run off together without even thinking about asking him what _he_ felt like doing, if _he_ was interested in breaking into an arcade and freely playing a few games until the sun came up. He would probably advise against the idea...or at least pretend to before giving in. But they had run off before he could utter a word.

So had Raph. It didn't occur to Raph that the two of them might enjoy hanging out for the night, or at least a couple of hours. But Leo knew it wasn't their fault. It wasn't anyone's fault - except maybe his own.

Leo felt an unpleasant coldness spread over him as it hit him; while he had settled into a new routine, so had his family. While he worked alone and harder than ever, the rest of them had adapted, coming together in new, different ways - ways that didn't include _him_.

 _He_ had become the lone wolf in the middle of the pack.

Giving himself a shake, Leo turned away from the edge of the roof and cut a path across the adjoining rooftops. He was tired and probably overreacting; he had been pushing himself awfully hard lately. It was time they all took a break - himself included. Tomorrow he would ease up on his training a little and spend some time with his brothers. Things would go back to normal after that.

Only they didn't. Even though he cut his morning exercises short the next day, by the time he joined the others, they were already wrapped up in their own activities. At he first he quietly dropped hints that he would like to join them, then grew less than quiet about it, but it was no use. They absently told him not to worry about it and go back to his training, before the three of them ran off without him.

Discouraged, Leo tried talking to Splinter, but he was busy mediating and advised him not to forget his own meditations. Leo wandered off, but he didn't bother meditating that day.

The following day was more of the same, and so was the day after that, and the day after that. Leo's training started to slip as he tried harder and harder to subtly get his brothers to notice him.

One evening he considered a not so subtle approach - stabbing the table they were playing cards on and yelling 'pay attention to me, damn it!' crossed his mind - but he decided not to. His brothers weren't excluding him on purpose; they thought he wanted them to keep out of his way.

When another evening rolled around and he found himself sitting alone while his brothers laughed and goofed around together, he decided he needed some air. A long walk to clear his head. He headed topside (no one noticed) and eventually climbed up a fire escape and watched the sun go down. After that he grew restless and moved through darkened back alleys, not heading in any particular direction. On impulse he turned and made his way to April's apartment.

He hadn't seen her in a while; none of them had. She had been busy and so had they - or so had he, at least. He hoped she wouldn't mind if he suddenly stopped by for a visit.

When he got to the apartment, April was in the kitchen, quietly humming to herself as she stirred something cooking on the stove. The air smelled warm and pleasant, and a little spicy.

"Oh - hi, Leo," she said when she noticed him at the window. "Come on in; I'm out of pizza, so I hope you don't mind chili," she added with a grin.

"That's okay," Leo said after he'd rolled in through the open window. "I'm not hungry."

And he wasn't. He hadn't had much of an appetite lately.

As April returned to the stove, she pointed at a baking tin on the nearby counter. "The corn bread should be cool by now; would you mind cutting it?"

"No problem," said Leo, trying not to sound too eager about it. It felt nice to be needed, even for something so simple.

While April sprinkled something into the pot of chili, Leo found a long knife and had the small loaf carved into thin slices in moments. "Anything else?" he asked, after flipping the knife into the air, catching it, and putting it back.

April set the spoon down with a clink and turned to him, her eyes oddly bright. She tapped the fingers of her left hand, one at a time, across her cheek. "You tell me," she said mysteriously.

Puzzled, Leo stared at her - and then his eye fell on the glittering shape on her finger. He felt his eyes widen. "Is that a - I mean, are you and Casey...?"

He was so surprised he couldn't even say it.

April let out the kind of sigh only those brimming with love and happiness could release. "Yeah, the big goon finally decided to make an honest woman out of me," she said, admiring her hand proudly.

A moment later she frowned. "Although I kind of have to wonder if this is worth as much as he says it is. Either he's exaggerating or...he and I are going to have to have a little talk about where a slacker like him got that kind of money."

"Ouch, that hurts, babe," said a voice from across the apartment.

Leo turned around, and April darted forward to embrace the figure coming through the kitchen doorway. "Since I can see you won't be happy until you know everything - my fault for falling for a reporter - I sold an old baseball card I had lying around to some diehard collector. I _can_ do something right once in a while, you know."

Grinning, Casey pulled her closer in his arms, and Leo quickly turned away. This wasn't a moment he was welcome to share - he shouldn't even be here. He left quietly and dropped down to the street just as a light rain began to fall. He hardly noticed as he started walking, his mind processing this new change.

Granted, it wasn't a _huge_ change - April and Casey had been a fairly steady couple for almost as long as he had known them, and they had lived together for the last few months. Still, this would take some getting used to - especially if they decided to have children someday.

Leo wondered how he and his brothers would fit into their lives then. Would they be kept a secret, or would they be allowed to hang around? He pictured them acting as four - extremely - distant uncles and chuckled to himself.

And then something rippled through him - something cold and unpleasant. He felt something, something as palpable as a hand on his skin. He had gotten too distracted, too lost in his own thoughts, so he hadn't noticed until he felt the sensation join the soft touch of the rain.

A pair of eyes were on him. Watching him. For how long he didn't know, but there was no turning back now. He had been seen, and he had to face whatever followed.

As he stopped walking and listened, he expected some sign of the usual reactions - a frightened shriek, a sudden thump as someone fainted - but everything was quiet. Well, as quiet as this section of New York could be. There was no sound of movement nearby. He didn't hear any frightened breathing. He didn't hear or feel a thing; just that steady pressure of someone's eyes on him.

He slowly turned around. Standing on the other side of the alley he had wandered into was a woman. She had her hands in her coat pockets and appeared to be watching him with a look of curiosity. He couldn't really tell; she was standing with her back to a yellowish light tacked above a door, putting her face in shadow.

There was a clack as she tapped the heel of her boot on the damp ground, making the light glint off its buckles. Leo didn't know what to think - was she dizzy with fear, or was she one of those who instantly thought she was dreaming? - so he continued to stare blankly. And then she chuckled. Such a deep, rich, musical sound. It made his skin prickle strangely.

"So. Looks like you're not a myth after all."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"Excuse me?" Leo asked dumbly.

Chuckling again, the woman took a step closer. "You hear strange stories from time to time," she explained, as easily as if she were talking to the mailman, "especially late at night at clubs."

The revelation that stories about them circulated in nightclubs among intoxicated patrons didn't shock him - they had been seen enough times now that rumors were inevitable - but the utter indifference this woman was showing over meeting him face to face did.

She looked completely calm - serene, even - as if she ran into beings who were something other than human all the time. Not that he minded; it was kind of a relief, actually. He didn't care for the screaming very much...although the fainting was kind of funny when a man did it.

He felt like he needed to be sure, though, just in case she was only pretending not to be terrified. "So...bumping into a five-foot-tall turtle in the middle of a dark alley doesn't scare you?" he wondered, keeping his tone light as he let a smile touch his face.

Another chuckle. His skin prickled again. "No. Should it?"

She took another step closer, and the light stretched across her face. Leo felt his breath catch in his throat.

He had never seen anyone so beautiful before. Her face was a perfect heart shape, her features slender and delicate. Her coat had a hood that softly framed her face and hid her hair, but the wisp of bangs hanging over her forehead was red - the brightest, purest red he had ever seen. Her skin was smooth and flawless, like white porcelain.

But what struck him most were her eyes; he had never seen such a green before, so bright and luminous. Though there was a smile on her plump, pink lips, those eyes were sharp as knives, boring into him. There was something almost primal, bestial about them; a shiver ran through him.

"Now that you mention it, you do look a little menacing," she noted, her voice like liquid velvet. "Do you always carry weapons like that around?"

"No - I mean yes, I do, but they're not..."

It was hard to talk for some reason. A strange ache was forming deep inside him; she was so beautiful it was almost painful to look at her. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He felt like those eyes were going to draw him in and swallow him whole.

Her smile deepened, and a dimple appeared in each cheek, like two perfect dents in white cream. "Relax; I was only kidding. I've been watching you for a while, and I can tell you aren't looking for trouble. Honestly, you look a little down."

I am, Leo wanted to blurt out. He couldn't explain why, but he wanted to spill out all his troubles to this woman, and he didn't even know her name. But the thought that maybe he had found a new friend and ally - especially during a time he felt so out of place - made his spirits lift a little.

Befriending her didn't seem like a farfetched idea; he had never seen someone take meeting him into stride so easily. "I am," he admitted, out loud this time. "Down, that is."

Her gaze turned sympathetic, though it didn't lose its intensity. "I can imagine. It must be awfully hard for you, being part of this world but having to hide from it."

That wasn't why he was down right now, but...he _did_ get depressed about that sometimes. And it might be nice to talk to someone about it - someone who wasn't one of his brothers, someone who seemed understanding and compassionate.

He knew he would probably be scolded later for being so careless, but for now he let those thoughts slip from his mind. A ghost of a smile touching his face, he took a step closer. "That can be rough," he allowed. "But we're used to it."

"We," she repeated. "So the rumors are true; there _are_ several of you living below these streets."

"How many do the locals figure there are?" Leo wondered curiously.

The smile returned, along with the dimples. Leo had always thought dimples were cute, but seeing them on a face so achingly beautiful made them something...else.

"Depends on how much the storyteller has had to drink," was the response. "Last I heard there was an entire army of mutated reptiles, amphibians and pet goldfish growing down there, waiting for the right moment to rise up against us mammals."

The image made Leo snicker. "Well, I haven't seen anything that qualifies as an army yet, but when I do I'll be sure to tell them to calm down a little."

He could hardly believe how easy it was to talk to this person. He hesitated to use that old, overused cliché of it being like they already knew each other...but that was how it was starting to feel. And she _had_ said she had been watching him for a while...she just hadn't said for how long. He had been distracted for several nights now; for all he knew, she had spotted him days ago and had been waiting for a chance to speak to him.

His smile growing, he moved closer, until they were standing only about a foot apart. He had to look up to hold her gaze - which he couldn't seem to bring himself to look away from - but not very much. This woman was very petite, standing at only five-foot-one or so.

He was used to being around humans who were notably taller than him, so this was a nice change. "I'm Leonardo," he volunteered, "but you can call me Leo."

"Arella," said the green-eyed stranger, and held out her hand.

No one had ever offered to shake his hand before. Feeling a little shy, Leo slowly reached out and gripped her slender fingers. They were soft, he discovered, and delicate, and he made sure not to squeeze too tightly. Her skin, which felt as flawless as it looked, didn't feel warm or cold to the touch.

"How many of you are there?" Arella asked, her luminous eyes scanning his.

"Just four," he said, without hesitation. "And our sensei. He's a rat."

Arella's smile was knowing. "And the five of you have to live cooped up underground? You must drive each other nuts."

Leo laughed a little. "Sometimes. But we're really pretty close."

Well, we used to be, he added bitterly to himself.

Arella's smile softened. She had such an air of understanding and caring about her, Leo felt completely comfortable telling her these things. He wanted to tell her more - everything, in fact. Their entire history and everything that had led them to where they were now - especially this uncertain time he found himself in. In fact, he wanted to talk about that the most.

Her gaze suddenly left his, and Leo followed it down to where their hands were still clasped together. His cheeks started to warm; he hadn't noticed that he never let go.

He withdrew his hand shyly, but Arella didn't seem to have minded. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen. You?"

This time her smile was more of a smirk. "Old enough," she said vaguely.

"Aw, come on."

The smirk deepened as she shook her head playfully. Leo didn't really care; her small size and delicate-looking frame hinted at youth, but the way she carried herself - with confidence and poise - suggested maturity. He figured she was older than him - but not by a whole lot. Nineteen, maybe.

Most people he met were older than him, so it would be nice to talk to someone closer to his own age.

"Do you live around here?" he wondered.

Arella turned and pointed across the alley. "A few blocks down that way," she directed, "in a studio apartment above the old movie theater."

Leo knew the place. It wasn't far from where April used to live, actually, before the antique store burned down. That theater had been closed down for years, and though it was up for rent, no one had picked it up because, well...that area had gotten a little seedy.

"Not the nicest place in town," he noted, with a small frown.

Slipping her hands back into her coat pockets, Arella gave a nonchalant shrug. "You do what you can to get by."

Leo snorted quietly. "Tell me about it."

Though honestly, he was pretty sure a broken-down subway was a lot nicer than one of those apartments. At least they never had to worry about the police busting the door down in the middle of the night because they were looking for the drug dealers who lived next door.

Arella lifted her slender wrist and glanced down at the watch she was wearing. "I had better go," she said, a touch of reluctance in her voice.

Leo felt a surge of something much deeper than mere reluctance. "Do you have to?" he asked.

He knew that sounded childish, but he didn't want her to leave. Not yet.

"I have to," she said apologetically. "I've got some things I need to do."

Leo had never envied humans the time constraints and schedules they had to stick to. Now he downright loathed them. "Will I get to see you again?"

Her smile was warm as she reached out, her hands closing around one of his. They felt like before - not warm and not cold - but he curled his large fingers around hers, reveling in the simple touch. "Of course. You know where I live; if you ever need to talk to someone, don't hesitate to stop by."

She paused. "Although I'm not always there, or sometimes I won't be able to let you in."

"I understand," Leo said quickly. "You've got a job just like everybody else, and friends you won't be able to, uh, freely introduce me to."

He smiled, and Arella's eyes twinkled in amusement. He found himself staring into them - he always thought it was stupid and corny when people in movies did that but couldn't stop himself - and almost made a sound of protest when she suddenly looked away. Her hands let go of his.

"See you around, Little Leo," she called as she passed under the light and disappeared into the darkness.

Something about the way she said that didn't make it condescending, but endearing. Leo felt oddly light and happy as he gazed off in the direction she had gone, smiling to himself.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there like that, but abruptly he blinked several times, feeling like he had just been roused from a dream. He hadn't noticed - in fact he had completely forgotten about it - that it was still raining. It was downright pouring, and he was soaked and cold.

Shivering, Leo turned and hurried toward the nearest way under the streets, feet slapping in the growing puddles. When he got back to the den he found his brothers playfully arguing over a board game. They didn't look at him as he came in, but Splinter, who was reclining in a nearby chair and sipping a cup of tea, glanced over at him with a small frown.

Thankfully, he didn't ask where he had been, and Leo tried not to make eye contact as he darted by and ducked inside the subway car, closing the door behind him.

He absently scrounged up a towel and dried himself off, blind to his own actions. His mind was full of images of Arella - that face, those dimples, those incredible eyes. He couldn't get them out of his head - and he didn't want to.

Another thing he didn't want to do was share this with his brothers. He had considered it - briefly - but he had decided against it. He rarely had things all to himself - and if they weren't interested in sharing anything with him right now, then why not?

It would be nice to have something that was all his own for a change. Arella would be his own little secret, something for him and him alone.

Well, he probably wouldn't be able to keep it that way forever. She was bound to grow curious about the rest of them, and someone - probably Splinter, who had a habit of figuring out anything and everything - would eventually notice that something was up.

But until then, he had no intention of mentioning tonight to anyone. He would behave like everything was normal...which would give him the chance to have Arella to himself for a while. A place to go when he wanted to talk, or to just get away and be with someone who wasn't one of his brothers, who weren't being very receptive to him right now anyway.

As he switched off the lamp and curled up in bed, it occurred to him that he never had a secret from his family before, not in all his seventeen years. Splinter had taught them that secrets were wrong, especially among family members. Plus he had that annoying habit of figuring out things. Leo knew he probably wouldn't be able to keep this a secret for long...but for however long it lasted, he was going to savor it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

All night long Leo dreamed about Arella, and when he woke up the next morning, his spirits were high. His brothers would probably ignore him again today, but that was all right. He had someone else to turn to now.

"Can you believe it?" he heard Mikey ask as he slid out of bed and headed over to the old picnic table they used as their breakfast, lunch, and dinner table.

"Believe what?" Leo wondered as he absently grabbed a box of cereal.

Mikey glanced at him, looking surprised that he was asking. "Didn't you hear? April and Casey are taking the big plunge."

"I heard," said Leo as he sat down. "April told me."

"I wonder if we'll be invited to the wedding?" Don mused jokingly as he stirred the bowl in front of him.

"I haven't a thing to wear," sighed Mikey, with mock despair.

"Maybe we can talk them into having it at a nudist beach," Raph suggested. "Surf, sand, and no stiff tuxedos required."

Leo glanced at him in surprise; that sounded more like something Mikey would say.

Beside him, Mikey widened his eyes in horror. "You mean I'd have to see Casey naked? No thanks, dude. They serve a lot of food at weddings and I don't want to lose my appetite."

"Hey, the guy's in pretty good shape," put in Don. "But, maybe April better keep the lights down later, just in case."

Raph snorted. "It's not like she'll be seeing anything she hasn't already."

"It was a joke, Raph."

Frowning, Mikey suddenly leaned over the table, a box of super-sweet frosted cereal in his hand. "You need sugar, dude," he informed Don.

"Do not," said Don mildly. "My breakfast is always optimized for maximum nutrition and energy for first thing in the morning."

"For energy, you need sugar," Mikey insisted.

To Leo's surprise, Don didn't protest as Mikey proceeded to dump a generous amount of the guaranteed-to-make-you-hyper cereal into his bowl.

Suddenly feeling a presence behind him, Leo turned away from his brothers' antics and looked to see that Splinter was standing behind him, watching him with a frown. "You have not practiced yet this morning," he noted.

Actually, Leo had skipped his before breakfast practice for the past couple of mornings, but this was the first time Splinter had commented on it. He didn't feel very hungry, so he pushed his half-eaten bowl away and stood. "I came in late," he said, though Splinter knew that. "Sorry."

"I had noticed. And I have been wondering what kept you."

Leo had been a little afraid he would ask that. "Patrolling," he said vaguely.

Which was almost true. He had kept his eyes open for trouble on his way to April's...sort of. He sure hoped he wouldn't have to reveal Arella so soon, or how they had met. If he told Splinter he had been seen because he let his mind wander...

It wasn't at all like the other times they had been discovered. Those times had been all but unavoidable, but this? Simply put, he would be in serious trouble if Splinter knew.

Currently those dark eyes of his sensei's were boring into him, knowing that something else was on his mind. "I went to see April, too," he volunteered. "That's how I found out about the wedding. After that I...kind of got lost in thought. I lost track of time."

He glanced away and looked at his brothers; he didn't like it when Splinter looked at him that way. "How'd you guys find out, anyway?" he wondered.

"She called us this morning," Mikey responded absently. "While you were still asleep."

Leo hadn't realized until now just how late he had slept. That wasn't like him at all; he was usually the first one up - well, the first one up after Splinter. But his dreams had been full of Arella's hauntingly beautiful face and he hadn't wanted to wake up.

The funny thing was, though, that now that he _was_ awake, he was having trouble picturing her clearly. Her image had become blurry in his mind. And he knew there was a reason he wanted to keep her a secret, which had made perfect sense last night...but now he was having trouble remembering it.

The chatter at the table continued. Leo stepped over to a more open area and began his morning routine, which he kept at for an extra long time to make up for sleeping in. When he finally finished, he turned to see that his brothers were parked in front of the TV, watching cartoons. Typical.

"You guys _do_ know that we're seventeen now, right?" he asked dryly as he wiped his sweaty face.

"What's your point?" said Raph, without taking his eyes off the screen.

"My point," Leo went on wearily, "is that in one more year we'll be eighteen - legal adults by most standards. And in four years we'll be twenty-one. Our days as teenagers are almost over."

"All the more reason to act as immature as we can," declared Mikey.

To prove it, he grabbed a nearby Nerf football and bounced it off Raph's head. Leo shook his own head, thinking about what this always led to. Mikey seemed to think he knew too; he was already up and running, looking ready to lead Raph on a rampant chase around the den.

Instead, Raph continued to watch TV as he munched on potato chips. Don looked a little surprised too as he glanced at him. "The quickest way to discourage him is to ignore him," Raph explained calmly.

As if to prove it, he tucked his head down into his shell until only his eyes showed. Looking disappointed, Mikey headed to the car with a comic book.

Leo could scarcely believe what he was seeing. Not chasing Mikey, or at least socking him when he was being a pest wasn't like Raph at all. "I don't even know you guys anymore," he exclaimed, spreading his hands wide.

Don glanced at him with a frown. "You okay there, Leo?"

"Fine," Leo muttered. "Great. Swell."

He remembered why he wanted to keep Arella a secret now. Because if his brothers knew he had made a new friend - especially one who was female and beautiful - they would follow him whenever he visited her. And he couldn't have that, not when they were exactly what he wanted to complain to her about.

Without bothering to say he was heading up, he turned and mounted the stairs to the ladder. He didn't look over at Splinter's room as he climbed out - he didn't dare - but he could feel his eyes on him, watching him with silent disapproval. Splinter discouraged them from venturing outside during the day unless it was absolutely necessary. He would probably be punished for it when he got back, but right now Leo didn't care.

Following his memories, it didn't take him long to reach the street outside the old movie theater. The 'for rent' signs were still in the windows, looking faded and time-worn. The entire block had that unkempt, rundown look.

The set of studio apartments above the movie theater didn't look much better. He had never seen inside them, but he imagined they were grubby, musty, infested with bugs.

He climbed up the uneven brick that faced the alley, using the tops of the theater's boarded up windows as footholds. As he skirted around the side to the back of the building, it occurred to him that he had no idea which apartment was Arella's, but he reached for a half-open window just the same.

It led into a narrow, poorly lit hallway. There were a few doors on one side and fewer on the other. Both the walls and floors were stained, and there was an odd smell in the air. Judging by the silence, either everyone was out or they were inside sleeping off a stupor. Leo knew that it wasn't always possible to find a place that was better than this, but he still found himself wishing that Arella would try. He couldn't imagine her living here at all, let alone comfortably.

 _He_ sure wasn't comfortable. Even though there was no one around, he felt exposed, and foolish. He was being needlessly careless and he knew it, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around and go home.

Come on, Arella, he thought to himself. Come on out. I need to talk to you.

A moment later, as if she had heard his thoughts, a door to his left opened with a squeak. The hall was shadowy, but that tiny figure, that brilliant coppery hair was unmistakable.

She had a small bag in her hand - probably trash she was taking out - but she stopped and looked over at him with a look of surprise. A smile lit her face. "I was hoping you might show up."

The words made his heart soar. He had been half-afraid she would tell him that this wasn't a good time to visit.

She glanced over her shoulder, then beckoned to him. Leo darted forward, around the open door and into the apartment; Arella closed the door behind him.

The apartment was even smaller than he thought it would be. It was square-shaped and the ceiling was low. The floor was hardwood and bare and the wall in front of him was lined with windows. They were covered by white blinds, which were open less than halfway, letting in thin strips of sunlight.

There was little else worth mentioning. A wire-frame bed in one corner. A nook with a toilet, sink and shower stall in another. Trunks that probably held her clothes were tucked off to one side. A table. A chair.

"There's no kitchen," he noted with a frown.

Arella moved past him, heading to one of the windows. "I eat out. Or I bring something in. It's no trouble."

Smiling, she grabbed the wand dangling beside the window and twisted it, opening the blinds a little more. The room brightened a fraction.

Enough to make the late-morning light seem to glow against Arella's skin. She was wearing a periwinkle blue blouse made from silk and held up with spaghetti straps. Her bare arms gleamed like ivory. The hair that hung around her shoulders in tight ringlets glittered like each strand housed tiny flames.

She was even more beautiful than she was last night, more beautiful than his dreams or memory could recall. His breath stolen, Leo watched as she uncurled her fingers from the wand and stepped barefoot across the room. She picked up something flat and oddly-shaped in one hand and something long and skinny in the other.

She brought the tip of the skinny object to her pursed lips. "What do you think? Too much blue? Or not enough yellow?"

Leo shook himself and gazed where she was looking. His eyes focused and he realized that she was standing in front of an easel. In her hands were a palette and paintbrush.

On the canvas was an oil painting of the seashore. The sun gleamed brilliantly off the white sand, water foamed against the rocks. Leo could practically smell the surf, and hear the cry of the gull that flew overhead.

"That's amazing," he said, breathless.

"It pays the bills," Arella said mildly.

"I'm serious. You have an incredible talent."

Looking shy, Arella smiled at him from beneath her thick lashes. As she did, she lightly bit her bottom lip.

Leo felt an urge suddenly seize him, one he had never experienced before. Not with a girl who was standing right in front of him, mere inches away.

He wanted to know what those lips felt like beneath his own.

Face heating, Leo looked away - it was easier to think when he wasn't gazing into those eyes - and focused on the canvas instead. "I think it could use more life," he decided. That gull looked lonely to him.

"This _is_ life," said Arella, sounding like she didn't understand. "The sea is like an entity all its own - a powerful force that can't be matched."

Leo scrutinized the bare beach. "Still needs something," he said. "Maybe some kids building sand castles."

"Kids?"

"Sure. Kids are cute."

When he looked at Arella again, she was frowning. He preferred the dimples.

"I never paint people," she said firmly.

"Why not?"

She turned and dabbed her brush across the canvas with a sniff. "I have to look at people enough as it is. I'd rather paint nature. Life as it _should_ be."

Without people? Leo wanted to ask, but didn't. New York got to some people like that sometimes; they felt stifled and wanted peace and quiet. Privacy.

Thinking about it reminded him of this morning. "My brothers are driving me nuts," he muttered as he watched Arella paint.

Arella's cheeks curved as she smiled. "That's a sibling for you."

"That's just the problem; they're not acting like my siblings."

And he found himself pouring out everything. Mikey and Don suddenly acting like best friends. Raph cracking jokes and not getting annoyed when Mikey pestered him. And of course he told all about how the three of them had become such a tight little trio, leaving him...

He really wasn't sure where that left him.

"I know I'm partly to blame," he went on glumly. He had taken a seat in the chair by the window. Arella continued to paint while she listened.

"I should have intensified my training more gradually, or suggested that we all do it together instead of tackling this on my own. I just figured that with me being the leader and all..."

Arella suddenly lowered her brush and looked at him. Her green eyes were bright and intense. "It sounds to me," she said lowly, "like you're not being appreciated in the way you deserve. What you've decided to do was for more for them than for you, wasn't it?"

Leo thought about it and realized she was right. He had been thinking about his brothers - their safety - when he decided it was time to train harder and stop playing. He hadn't been thinking about himself. He almost never thought of himself first - he was the leader. His brothers came first.

"It's the way it is," he mumbled.

"That doesn't make it right. They should be more thankful of how self-sacrificing you are. Not everyone can be like that, you know. It's easy to be selfish and self-centered. Giving of yourself the way you do takes real strength and resolve."

She paused, then set down her brush and palette and moved closer to him. There wasn't another chair, so she leaned on the wall next to him, folding her slender arms. "It takes more than strength to be selfless," she continued. "You must love them a lot."

"I do," he said. "But..."

But maybe, he suddenly realized with a chill, that was the problem. Maybe he loved his brothers more than they loved him in return. Maybe it had always been that way and he just never noticed.

After all he done to try and be the best leader he possibly could? With all he continued to do?

"It's just not fair."

He flushed a second later; he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

But Arella's smile was soft and full of understanding. "Sometimes it's hard for the ones we love most to understand why we do the things we do. Sometimes they never can."

So what would happen then? Would he and his brothers continue to drift apart? The thought chilled him to the bone.

"I don't want to wind up alone," he murmured.

Arella's eyes were gentle as she reached to take his hand. "You won't."

The dimples appeared. "You have me."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"And that's how it all happened," Leo finished.

He had told Arella everything. The way he and his brothers came into being, their long struggle against the Foot Clan and Shredder. Everything.

They were sitting with their backs resting against the wall beneath the row of windows. The light peeking between the slats of the blinds had turned from pale white to golden yellow, signaling that it was somewhere around noon. Arella absently reached up and twisted a wand, closing the slats.

"So," she suddenly said. It was the first word she'd spoke in quite some time. "All four of you really started life as regular old pet turtles?"

"Uh-huh."

Leo flicked a glance at her. "You don't think that's strange, do you?"

Now _that_ was a stupid question. Of course it was strange. All of it was strange.

But Arella's smile was soft as she turned her head and looked at him. "I think it's amazing. I think _you_ are amazing. You've been through so much, yet you've managed to hold on to a certain sense of..."

Her smile deepened as her fingers slipped between his. "Innocence," she finished.

Leo wasn't sure if he would describe himself as innocent, but when she looked at him like that, he _felt_ innocent. He felt a lot of things when she was this close to him, some of them he couldn't quite name. But he knew that being this close to her made him feel peaceful. As if everything that was going on in his life right now didn't matter.

Smiling, he tightened his grip on her hand, though not by much. She felt so delicate to him, so fragile. Like a living porcelain doll, and if he held her too tightly she might break.

And yet she seemed content in her current environment. Leo had to admit that if he didn't know how bad it looked out in the hallway or outside, he would probably feel content here too. Arella kept the place nice and clean; the hardwood floor was smooth and polished, the dingy walls were hidden by her finished works of art. A small shelf next to the bed had a row of scented candles lined up along the top, though their pleasant odor didn't quite mask that odd smell coming from the hall.

Arella's grip on his hand tightened, and thoughts about the smell, the tiny apartment, and everything else faded from his mind as he looked at her. "I'm glad I have you, Rey," he said softly.

He was glad now that he'd let his mind wander and he let himself be seen. They had only just met, but he already knew that Arella was going to be an important part of his life - maybe the most important part, the most important thing that ever happened to him. He wasn't sure how he knew; he just did.

Arella's eyes were half-closed and dreamy, her long lashes obscuring her green orbs. Leo absently wished that she would open them wide; he was starting to like how he felt like he could drown if he stared into them too closely.

And then she closed them completely as she leaned closer and brushed her lips against his. Leo felt a shock-wave.

"Sorry," Arella murmured, bringing her fingertips to her pink lips as she pulled away. "That was too sudden."

"No," Leo said quickly. "I-I mean, yes, it was, but..."

Realizing he was stammering like a child, he flushed and closed his mouth. Arella continued to finger her mouth, her eyes lowered from his. It was a sight too endearing, too tempting to pass up. Moving slowly, Leo reached out and rested a hand on her creamy shoulder. He brought his other hand up and tilted her chin. Her eyes lifted and locked with his.

He had been planning to kiss her, but with that intense gaze searing into his own, he felt frozen, mesmerized. A tiny smile touched her lips; her fingers drifted from her mouth and down to the hand still resting on her jaw, her fingers closing around his. She lifted her face and her mouth touched his.

It was indescribable. On a physical level it was easy enough; her lips were soft and like the rest of her skin - not warm and not cold. They grew moist as they moved over his, her breath tickling his face as it quickened.

On an emotional level it was something else, something he couldn't begin to name. He felt excited. Ecstatic. His heart soared like it never had before. At the same time it was frightening, strange and completely unknown. It was thrilling and terrifying in ways he couldn't even begin to understand. It was wonderful.

A thumping sound made him jump; Arella pulled from his mouth with a frustrated grunt. Leo's entire body ached with disappointment of having that precious contact broken.

The thumping sounded again; it dawned on him that someone was knocking on the door. Arella pulled her arms from his neck, and he unwound his fingers from her curls. He didn't even remember putting them there.

"What?" Arella called sharply as she stood. "I'm busy in here, Jim."

"Don't get flippant with _me_ , Grant," came a gruff voice from out in the hall. "Your rent is due."

"I left it on your desk this morning," Arella said testily. "You know, that brown thing that's in your office?"

"Fine. You're a real pain in the butt, you know that, Tanya? But you're cute, so I put up with it."

Heavy footsteps retreated. "Tanya?" Leo echoed when they were gone.

Arella scoffed and turned from the door. "He's a drunk," she muttered, twisting the blinds back open. "He doesn't know me from Eve."

Leo got to his feet and watched as she went back to her canvas. "I have to finish this," she said, an apologetic note in her voice as she picked up her brush again. "I've already lost a lot of light."

When he realized she was asking him to leave, Leo's heart dropped to the soles of his feet. "All right," he agreed, though leaving was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Don't be gloomy," she said, smiling as she swept the brush across the painting. "You can come back any time you want. You're always welcome."

Leo already knew this - she'd told him last night - but he was still reluctant to leave. He wanted to stay and talk some more. He wanted her to hold him in her arms. He wanted her to kiss him.

Instead, her eyes were focused on the canvas, plump lips pursed as she concentrated. Leo took another look around the tiny apartment and frowned. "Isn't there somewhere else you could stay?" he asked, before he could stop himself.

"What's wrong with this?" Arella wondered, not taking her eyes off the canvas.

It's beneath you, Leo wanted to say, but decided against it.

She glanced at him. "I don't mind Jim. He's a jerk, but he's a landlord. He can't help it."

She glanced at him again and smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, but..."

He still didn't think she should live in a place like this. But maybe, he thought with a sinking feeling, she really couldn't afford anything better. "You're not one of those starving artist types, are you?"

The brush stilled on the canvas, and the eyes that jerked to him were blazing. Leo flinched, but he didn't look away. "I'm an artist," Arella said coolly, "but I'm never starving."

She jabbed the brush across the canvas, then turned away and swirled it in a jar of water. "How could I ever starve when this world is practically bursting at the seams with food?"

Leo was tempted to point out that it didn't matter how much food you were surrounded with if you didn't have money to pay for it. But he could sense that he was treading in forbidden territory and let it drop. "I'll see you later," he murmured, reaching for the door.

Arella nodded absently and continued to clean her brush.

When he made it safely back outside, Leo was startled to see just how much time had passed. Most of the afternoon was gone, and even though it was still early, the October sun would be setting soon. It hadn't felt like he had been out that long. But when he was talking to Arella, it was like he stopped being aware of the passage of time.

It's strange, Leo mused as he started for home. But maybe it's normal.

Maybe everybody felt like this when they were falling in love.

They had only met yesterday, but what else could this burning ache inside him mean? He wanted to get lost in this feeling, to let her very presence consume him. He didn't just want, he _needed_ to see her again, and as soon as possible.

At home, his brothers were sparring in their makeshift living room. Mikey glanced at him as he came in. "Where've you been all day, dude?" he wondered.

"Like you care," Leo muttered.

Mikey frowned, then yelped a second later as Raph's foot grazed his shoulder. "You need to concentrate, _dude_ ," Raph chided.

"Ooh, that's it," Mikey growled.

He dove and tried to tackle Raph; Raph dodged easily and flipped over the couch. He took off running and Mikey picked himself up and chased after.

Sitting in the nearby easy chair was Splinter. He had been reading a newspaper, but he set it aside as Leo walked by. "I was worried about you, my son."

"Why? I can take care of myself."

Leo was surprised with himself, and judging by the look that crossed his face, Splinter was too. He was never that short with his master. He was always the calm one, the respectful one. If he had been Raph, he would probably have been smacked with something and scolded; instead, Splinter looked puzzled, and a little hurt. "You were gone for many hours, and you were alone," he ventured, as if to explain his concern.

"I was training. I train better alone these days."

He headed to the car before Splinter could respond, closed the door and flopped onto his bed. He felt terrible. He had never lied to Splinter before. Exaggerated? Sure. Bent, stretched, and warped the truth? You bet. But outright lie right to his face...?

I had to, he reminded himself. Arella was his secret. _His_. And keeping her that way was more important than ever. He wanted to explore what was growing between them - something that was clearly more than friendship - and he couldn't do that with his brothers hovering around. And if Splinter knew, Leo had no doubt that he would disapprove completely.

He could just imagine how Splinter - not to mention his brothers - would react if he knew what had happened today.

Hey, guess what? he imagined himself saying. I kissed a girl. I kissed her and she kissed me back. It was incredible.

He didn't even want to think about how many flips he would end up having to do for _that_.

Splinter would probably tell him that what they were doing was wrong - that they were a different species and had no chance of ever having a normal life together. Leo knew that was probably true, but he didn't care. Arella was too special to just give up; somehow they would make it work.

But that was probably getting a little ahead of himself; they had only shared one kiss, after all. Leo sat up and tried to push his wandering thoughts from his mind. He tried to meditate, but all he could seem to picture was Arella's face.

Only he found he had trouble holding the image, just like this morning. Just when he thought he had it, it would slip away from him. It was strange, and it made him ache to see her again, to hold her face in his hands and gaze at it with his own eyes.

He probably wouldn't get away with sneaking out again tonight, so he kept to himself for the rest of the evening. It wasn't like he was invited to join in whatever his brothers were doing.

As he listened to them, talking and laughing as they watched the evening news, he thought back to what he and Arella had talked about earlier that day. She was right - they _didn't_ appreciate him, at least not the way he deserved. Out of everyone, he had worked the hardest and sacrificed the most around here.

He was the one who kept Mikey out of trouble when he got too curious for his own good. He was the one who fought to keep Raph under control when his temper flared. He would have liked to say that at least he didn't have to worry about Don, but he had been acting weird lately, too.

And why was all this his responsibility anyway? It wasn't like he had ever asked to be leader. Splinter had chosen him because he was the most level-headed, the most centered, the most reliable. Didn't that warrant a little more respect?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. A small part of him spoke up, telling him that he could probably make all these unpleasant feelings go away if he just talked to his brothers, but he ignored it. He had always been the rational one. It was time to be irrational for a change.

"Aw," Mikey suddenly cooed, "they announced April and Casey's wedding, with little silver ribbons and bells and everything."

"Swell," said Raph. "Can we watch wrestling now?"

"Uh, no. I just ate, so I'd rather not watch a bunch of grown men in skin-tight panties groping each other."

"Dufus. I only watch the girls."

"Oh. That's different, then."

"I've got a better idea," said Don. "Let's go pay the happy couple a visit."

Good, thought Leo. He wanted them to leave so he could be alone to think.

Which was the exact opposite of what he had been wanting lately, but he was mad at his brothers right now. He wasn't ready to make up with them just yet.

Mikey came to one of the windows and stuck his head in. "Hey, Leo," he said, "we're heading to April's to see if they need any help picking out decorations or something."

Behind him, Raph snorted. "That's sissy stuff," he muttered.

"Hear that? Raph just volunteered to pick out the floral arrangements."

"Now _that_ I'm not going to ignore."

Before Mikey could react, Raph had pulled him into a headlock and dragged him away from the window.

"No thanks," Leo called. "I'm going to stay here and meditate."

They left, arguing playfully the entire time. But when they were gone and silence fell, Leo felt restless. He didn't want to be with his brothers, but he didn't want to be alone, either. He wanted to be with Arella.

He debated internally for a while, then quietly slipped out and tiptoed to Splinter's room. His sensei was seated quietly on a cushion, a book in his hands.

"I changed my mind," Leo said when Splinter looked up at him. "I think I'll go with after all."

Splinter was quiet for a moment, and Leo tried not to squirm under his probing gaze. "Are you all right, my son?" he asked softly.

"Fine," Leo said, not looking him in the eye. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"If you ever want to talk about it..."

"I'm fine," Leo repeated. "But when I need to talk you're always the first one I go to."

Another lie. The first one he wanted to talk to now was Arella. He turned and hurried out of the den before Splinter could say anything else.

When he reached the grate that led up into the alley beside the movie theater, someone was walking overhead. They belched loudly and reeked of beer, so it was probably Jim the landlord. Either that or any of Arella's neighbors.

When all was quiet, Leo pushed the grate aside and climbed up onto the street. He almost fell back down again in surprise; someone was standing near the Dumpster at the side of the next building. Her back was turned, but enough light shown from a nearby dingy streetlamp to set her curls ablaze.

Leo let out a sigh of relief. "You're awfully quiet. I didn't hear you there."

Or sense her in the least. But as Arella turned to face him, she looked as though she had known he was coming.

Only to his disappointment, she wasn't smiling. She almost looked unhappy to see him. "It's not a good time," she said. "My apartment is kind of a mess right now."

Leo tried to mask his intense disappointment. "That's okay. I bet those paints are a pain to clean up."

Arella studied him for a moment, her eyes glittering like green jewels. She glanced up in the direction of her apartment for a second. "You know what? It can keep."

Smiling now, she reached to take his hand; Leo's heart soared at the contact. Her touch felt a little different; her grip was strong and firm, and her palm radiated warmth.

"Come on," she coaxed. "I know a place where we can go."

Leo felt himself beam as he gazed into the endless green ocean of her eyes. "I'd follow you anywhere."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Arella led him through back alleys and through narrow gaps between rundown buildings. They headed farther and farther from the main part of the streets, until traffic sounded distant. She let go of his hand and knelt to move a board that was pressed against a hole in an old wooden fence. "In here," she instructed.

The petite girl easily crawled through the small space, but Leo had to struggle a moment before he squeezed his shell through.

He found himself on a small square of grass tucked between the worn fence and a brick wall. There were no lights around, leaving them with a view of the sky above. When Arella placed the board back over the hole, it felt like they were closed off in a world all to themselves.

With a smile, Arella leaned back against him; Leo drew his arms around her and pulled her to him, settling his shell comfortably against the wall. It was a little chilly here, but her skin still felt warm. He entwined his fingers with hers; she smiled again and rested her head on his shoulder.

It was strangely peaceful here, a little spot of nowhere tucked under the stars that were peeking out from the murky clouds above them. It felt like all his troubles were fading away, like a dream.

That's what it felt like, to be lying here with Arella; a dream. A beautiful dream.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms, talking softly at times, shyly kissing at others. When he was with Arella, he felt like he could forget everything. His brothers, his frustration - everything. Even the time.

Especially the time.

Arella was kissing a line down his throat when Leo heard a hissing and clunking sound in the distance. "What's that?" he wondered distantly.

Arella drew her tongue across a particularly sensitive spot on his throat. "Midnight street sweeper," she murmured, lips pressed to his skin.

Leo felt an unpleasant jolt; midnight? He jerked to sit up; Arella made a sound of protest.

"I have to get home," he said weakly. "I have to..."

Oh, was he _ever_ in trouble. He didn't get into this kind of trouble. He just...didn't.

"I'm sorry," he said as he scrambled to his feet, "but I have to go home."

He should have gone home hours ago - before his brothers got back. But it felt like he and Arella had been here for only a little while - a half hour at the most.

Arella's disappointment was plain as she stood. "All right," she agreed. "But come back and see me tomorrow."

"I will," he promised, squeezing her hand.

No matter what he had to do, no matter who had to defy...he would find some way back to her.

He rested his hands on her slender waist, kissed her one last time, then squeezed back out into the alley and raced home.

When he got there, the den was almost completely dark. The only light was the faint glow coming from Don's computer screen as he quietly tapped away at the keyboard. The subway car was dark, indicating that Raph and Mikey had gone to bed already.

A warm, golden glow was coming from Splinter's room, but it didn't give Leo any comfort to see it. In fact, he was filled with a sense of dread as he started down the stairs.

As he crept by as quietly as he could, there was movement inside. Cringing, he looked to see Splinter standing in the doorway.

"Leonardo," he said quietly, "come here, please."

The sense of dread growing, Leo forced himself forward; Splinter closed the door behind him. He took a moment to draw each shade closed before turning to face him. Leo knelt and looked down at his hands, though he knew no amount of decorum was going to help. Splinter watched him in silence for a while, one hand resting behind his back as he leaned on his walking stick. Leo kept his eyes on his hands and didn't look at him.

"Your brothers tell me that they did not see you all evening. They were quite surprised when I suggested that you had joined them."

Leo tightened his fists. "I stopped a mugging on the way," he mumbled. "After that I lost interest in playing around."

He could scarcely believe what he was saying. He didn't do this. Not to Splinter - especially not to Splinter. But the words came so easily it barely felt like he was saying them. He just focused his mind on Arella and the lies seemed to come on their own.

Splinter breathed a sigh. "Something deeply troubles you. I wish you would tell me what it is."

"I'm not a child anymore," Leo heard himself mutter. "I don't have time to play games and screw around with the others. If they want to keep acting like infants, fine. I've got more important things to do, like train and patrol and do what we're _supposed_ to be doing."

It was close to the truth. It was what he _used_ to want to do. He almost believed it himself.

He glanced at Splinter; his eyes were dark and worried. Leo couldn't tell if he believed him or not. "If you are going through a confusing, conflicted time," he said quietly, "I understand. I know this life we live is not an easy one. I know sometimes you must long for something else."

"This isn't about that," Leo said distractedly.

He wanted this conversation to be over. He wanted to go to bed; the sooner he went to sleep, the sooner he could wake up and go see Arella.

Splinter sighed again. "I worry about you, my son. This is not like you."

"I told you, I'm fine. I'm just...trying to sort some things out."

"Very well. But in the meantime, I must insist that you sort them out where I can keep an eye on you."

Leo jerked his head up. "What?"

Splinter moved around him and eased into a nearby chair; he looked worn out. "I must insist," he repeated. "You are not to go to the surface for the time being. Not until I better understand what is happening to you. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly," said Leo, through clenched teeth.

He rose and all but stomped out of the room, without bothering to excuse himself first. Don pretended to be absorbed in his computer as he passed; Leo ignored him, went into the car and threw himself onto his bed. In the bed next to him, Mikey was snoring; Leo grimaced and kicked at the foot dangling off the mattress. Mikey snorted, rolled over and resumed snoring.

In the next bed over, someone snickered. "Funny, I thought _I_ was the only one who still got grounded these days."

Leo clenched his fists as a tremor of rage rippled through him. "Raph, shut the hell up."

"Or what?"

Leo rolled so he was facing the wall and ignored the bait. He lay awake and listened as Don continued to tinker, then finally got up, yawned, and came to bed. Leo continued to listen as the hours ticked by, his brothers alternating snoring and shifting around. Finally, Leo slid out of bed and crept across the living room.

He peered cautiously through Splinter's window; he was lying on his traditional futon bed, a lone candle flickering dimly nearby. He was sound asleep, so Leo crept on and climbed up to the corridor above.

He made it to Arella's apartment in record time, where he clung, panting, with his fingers curled around the edge of one of her windows and his toes propped on the edge of the window below.

He was half-afraid she would be asleep and wouldn't answer as he knocked on the window glass, but a moment later the blinds raised, followed by the window sash.

"It's awfully early," she noted, before stepping back and letting him inside.

It was almost dawn, with first light just starting to reach across the sky. Leo dropped inside the apartment and crouched below the window, taking a moment to catch his breath.

The painting Arella had been working on earlier was finished and had been set aside to dry, the easel folded up and placed in a corner. As Leo rose to his feet, Arella turned and knelt to scrub at a dark stain on the floor. More candles were burning this morning, along with several sticks of incense, but even that didn't quite mask the odd smell in the air. Probably a mixture of paint and turpentine. Not that Leo cared right now.

"I've been grounded," he said, though admitting it made his face burn.

Arella straightened, eyebrows arched. "Oh? How come?"

"Long story. Point is I can't go out right now. I'll probably catch it for coming here."

Arella pursed her lips. She looked so pretty in that moment, lit by the early dawn light like that. She was still dressed in the same blouse and jeans she'd worn yesterday. Her feet were bare; like her hands, they were small and delicate. Everything about her was delicate. Angelic and ethereal.

Leo let out his breath slowly as he gazed at her, her hair glowing like a crown of fire. This burning ache inside him could only be love.

"I could come see you, if you want," said Arella.

He had been hoping she would suggest that. "Do you have any paper? I'll give you directions to our place."

She handed him a small notepad, and he hastily scrawled out the address and a map. "And here's our phone number," he added.

"I don't have a phone," said Arella. "But write it down anyway," she went on, as he looked up in surprise. "You never know."

He finished writing and handed the notepad back to her. "I better go."

She gave a small nod, looking like she didn't want him to leave. Neither did he.

"It shouldn't be for long," he said, reaching to take her slender hand in his. "I'm the good one," he joked. "I doubt he'll keep me inside for longer than a few days."

Arella nodded again; Leo let out a sigh and tightened his grip on her hand. Her finger bones felt so small, so fragile to him, no more substantial than a bird's. He wanted to run his hands up the creamy skin of her arms, pull her close and kiss her - but he couldn't. If he did, he would never leave.

He forced himself to let go, climbed back out the window and rushed home.

Miraculously, Splinter was still asleep. Leo almost collapsed in relief - and he suddenly realized that he was exhausted. His sleep the night before had been restless, and last night he didn't sleep at all. He sat cross-legged at the top of the steps and closed his eyes, pretending to meditate as he half-dozed, half-fantasized about Arella.

He stayed there for most of the morning. He felt Splinter watching him from time to time, though he didn't say anything. Neither did his brothers, but he heard them snickering and whispering to each other. Leo ignored them all and continued to rest, anxiously awaiting nightfall.

When the sun started to set and his brothers parked themselves in front of the TV, Leo forced himself up and ran through his nightly exercises. When he finished he was so worn out he had no choice but to lay down and sleep, which was what he wanted; he wanted to make sure he was alert and rested when he saw Arella.

He awoke with a jerk sometime in the night. The den was silent and dark; his brothers slumbered quietly in the other beds. Leo pushed the covers off and tiptoed out of the car. The remains of a jumbo taco pizza were on the table; he hadn't eaten much today and had slept through dinner, so he grabbed a slice and munched as he headed to the upper tunnel.

He wasn't sure what he was doing or where he was going - he didn't want to risk going all the way to Arella's again. He might get caught this time, and then he would _really_ be in trouble.

But as he stepped quietly along the dank tunnel, his way lit by streetlamps peeking through the grates and cracks, he heard movement around the corner ahead of him. He didn't know how he knew, but every fiber in his body said _she's here._

Leo hurried around the corner. He thought he saw a glint of something in the shadows - like the flash of light reflecting off a cat's eyes - and then Arella was hurrying forward. A moment later she was in his arms and all of his thoughts and worries melted away.

"I'm sorry I didn't come up sooner," he murmured, lips pressed to her hair. "I'm hoping that if I pretend to behave I'll be unpunished soon."

Arella lifted her head and smiled. Leo felt that ache again, that intense longing, as he let himself sink into the pools of her luminous eyes. "It's all right. I had things I needed to do today anyway."

Leo took her hand and led her farther down the tunnel. There was a place up ahead where they could sit and talk - but he didn't plan to hang around with her tonight. It was too easy for him to lose all track of time when he was with her, and he couldn't risk talking the hours away and coming home after Splinter woke up.

It wasn't nearly as nice as the spot of grass she had taken him to, out under the stars. But it was dry, and there were clean boards places over the cracks in the cement that were comfortable to sit on. He sat and rested his shell against the wall, and Arella sat beside him, knees curled up to her chest.

"I can't stay," Leo forced himself to say. "Splinter won't like it if he wakes up and finds me gone."

Arella nodded and rested her chin on her knees, as if she had been expecting him to say that. There was a small puddle on the floor in front of her; the image reflected back to them from its rippled surface, the two of them so close and together...it seemed so right. "I can come back tomorrow."

"Come back a little earlier than this," Leo said. "We should be safe until dawn."

It was too close to dawn now for him to linger much longer. Splinter woke up extremely early.

Arella nodded again. "I will."

"Someday you can come over anytime you want. Just not yet."

"Your brothers won't mind?"

"Not at all. I'm sure they'd love to get to know you."

Which was exactly why he wasn't ready to introduce her just yet. Maybe later, after his punishment was over and he felt they had spent sufficient time alone together.

Arella turned her head and smiled at him. "So, I'm welcome to stop by whenever I want?"

"Of course. You have my open invitation."

Her smile deepened, her eyes glowing like green fire. "Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

The next day, Leo went about his normal routine. He meditated (well, he pretended like he was) between running through his training exercises. After lunch Raph suggested they spar together; Leo agreed, though his mind kept wandering even as he tried to focus.

"It's not like you to get distracted," Raph noted with a frown after he'd laid him flat for the third time.

"Maybe I don't like being cooped up," Leo muttered as he hauled himself to his feet.

"Hey, that's what happens when you fib to Splinter," Raph said, snickering.

Leo scowled, and was pleased to see that Raph hadn't been expecting the left hook to the jaw in the least.

"That wasn't very nice," Mikey commented, as Raph stumbled by rubbing his face.

"No, but it made me feel better."

It felt like the sun took forever to go down that day. When the evening news finally came on, Leo retired to his room and pretended to read, then dozed for a while. This time he had it all planned out; he'd dug up a watch with an alarm, which he set to go off a few hours before dawn.

When it woke him up later, he set it to just before dawn. Now he wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in his time with Arella.

When he went up the ladder and down the tunnel to the dry, secluded spot, Arella was there waiting for him. She was wisely wearing boots - the same buckled boots he saw her wearing the night they met - plus jeans and a glossy teal blouse. It was sleeveless and held up with string-thin straps, and there was an extra ruffle attached to them that draped partway down her upper arm, accentuating the soft curve of her shoulders.

She looked unreal, like a flawless china doll come to life. Leo drew close to her, put his hands gently on her arms and kissed her. Her lips felt cool; a shiver ran through him as she rested her chilly fingers on his arms.

When they parted, they sat on the boards together, arms still wrapped around each other. Leo noted absently that he should make this place nicer - better seats, maybe a blanket. She felt so cold tonight.

"Tell me about yourself," Leo murmured as he nuzzled her soft hair.

"What do you want to know?" Arella wondered, her tone lazy as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Everything. Come on, I told you _my_ life story; what about you? Have you always lived in New York?"

"I was born on an Irish moor. I lived alone in a cottage by the sea until the Great Famine came. After that I had trouble finding food, so I came here with everybody else. I prefer the coast, so I've stayed along the east here ever since."

Leo turned blank. "You, uh, look good for you age," he noted dryly.

He laughed a second later. "You mean, that's when your ancestors came here."

Arella smiled tightly at him.

"Do you have any family?" Leo wondered.

She shook her head, her eyes staying locked with his. "Not anymore. My brothers left to make their fortune when I was small, and my parents decided to travel all over Europe with me when I came of age - trying to find some rich landowner to marry me off to."

"Where are they now?"

Arella cuddled her head under his chin. "Dead. The last potential husband we stayed with didn't like it when my parents changed their minds and left suddenly. They met with an accident shortly after that."

Leo frowned hard. "Foul play?" he guessed.

"More or less."

He tightened his arms around her tiny frame. "You're lucky to be alive," he said quietly. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt."

Arella chuckled softly and ran her fingertips up and down his arm. His skin prickled deliciously.

"How long ago was this?"

"Early 1800s."

Leo laughed again. "Seriously."

Arella lifted her eyes to his. "Seriously, it was a long time ago. I barely remember them, and I don't miss them. They spent so much time going to parties when I was small I never got the chance to know them."

Leo gazed at her sympathetically. "Do you ever get lonely?" he asked softly, reaching up to brush a curl from her eyes.

"Sometimes. Then I met you."

Leo felt that burning ache swell inside him until it hurt. He couldn't keep himself from saying it.

"I love you, Rey," he whispered.

Arella's smile turned dazzling. She snaked her arms around his neck and meshed her mouth with his; Leo drew her close to him, reveling in her touch, her smell. She smelled so good, like a mixture of incense and flower petals.

Her lips were so wonderfully soft, so smooth and supple beneath his own, though they were a little cold and dry. He expected them to warm and moisten as he continued to kiss her, but they didn't.

Arella suddenly cupped his face and drew her tongue across his mouth, sending a shiver of delight through him. She chuckled and pulled away. "Interesting flavor," she noted, sounding amused. "What did you eat tonight?"

Leo flushed a little. "Garlic and onion pizza," he admitted sheepishly.

Arella made a purring sound and kissed him again. She lightly drew her fingernails over the sensitive flesh between his shoulder and neck, making him shiver again. His heart was pounding and his head was swimming; when Arella started nudging her lips down to his throat, he automatically tilted his head back.

Purring low in her throat again she licked across that same tender spot she had found before. Leo moaned softly, feeling his heart quicken even further. His pulse was humming under the spot Arella had pressed her lips to.

His watch picked that moment to beep.

"Oh, _crap_ ," he muttered, frustrated.

Had hours really gone by already? They must have, though it sure didn't feel like it.

Arella moaned in protest as he started to get up. "Don't go," she begged, her arms clamping around him. "Please, not yet."

"I have to," Leo sighed, though he wanted more than anything to stay here in her arms. "If I don't go now Splinter will notice that I'm gone, and then I'll be in even more trouble. I should be unpunished in a few days; then I can come up and spend as much time with you as I want."

Arella unwound her arms from his neck and sat back, though she looked painfully frustrated about something. "Okay," she whispered, after swallowing several times. "I'll wait."

Leo wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he darted forward and kissed her satiny cheek. "I'll see you tonight," he promised, before hurrying home.

The following day was almost exactly like yesterday, minus sparring with Raph. Leo tried not to let it show how anxious he was for nightfall and immersed himself in his practicing. Later that evening April dropped by to give them all an update on the wedding plans, along with several other instructions.

"We plan to take two weeks off for honeymooning, so I'd like you guys to come in while we're gone. You know, to water the plants and feed the cat."

Casey had given April a kitten for Christmas last year.

"That won't be for a while though, will it?" asked Mikey as April pulled out a set of keys.

"No, but I figure you guys should hang on to a set anyway. You know, just in case."

With a smile, she handed the keys to Leo, who took them without making eye contact with either Splinter or his brothers. At least someone around here still thought he was responsible...which must mean his brothers hadn't blabbed.

"Anything else we can help with?" asked Don.

"Not really. We're keeping it fairly small, so we've already gotten most of the major planning squared away. Right now I'm trying to pick out my gown - not easy with Casey helping me."

"What, doesn't the guy have good taste?" Raph asked teasingly.

April rolled her eyes. "Not unless you consider clothes I would be arrested if I wore them in public tasteful."

Raph snickered. "Well, you can't help who you fall in love with."

"Tell me about it."

She stayed and joked with them for a while more before heading back out. After she was gone, his brothers headed up to patrol for a few hours. Leo - naturally - stayed behind, not appreciating the barbs they tossed his way on their way out. He sat cross-legged on his bed while they were gone, fuming quietly.

When they got back they took out a game of cards, which they didn't invite him to join. Leo was pretty sure fun wasn't included in his punishment, so he let it slide and went to bed early.

When his watch went off, he eagerly got up and left the subway car - and stopped short as a chill ran through him.

In the distance he heard the distinct rumble of thunder, and even though he was underground, there was no mistaking the steady sound, the dampness in the air, the smell.

It was raining - no, make that pouring.

Leo's heart sank as he was filled with aching disappointment. Arella wasn't likely to venture out in weather like this - and even if she did, it didn't matter. A light was flickering in Splinter's room, brighter than what he usually fell asleep by. Above the patter of the rain Leo heard the soft crinkle of a page being turned.

Splinter was a light sleeper and often roused by a storm, so sitting up reading till it passed wasn't unusual for him. It still made Leo want to weep with disappointment as he sat in front of the subway car, chin rested in his hands.

I'm sorry, he thought bitterly. I'm so sorry, Rey.

Somehow, he felt like he was to blame for this. If only he hadn't gotten himself grounded. If only he hadn't let his training slip while he was worrying about getting his brothers' attention. If he hadn't he might have been able to sneak past Splinter even though he was awake.

Why did he go and let that bug him in the first place, anyway? It seemed so unimportant now. So his brothers were acting out of character and doing things that didn't include him; so what? He didn't need them. He had Arella now. As long as he had her, that was all that mattered.

Screw them, he thought darkly. Screw all three of them.

 _Sleep._

It was like a whisper in his mind, softer than a summer breeze. _Sleep now. Sleep..._

He had been wide awake moments ago, but now his eyelids started to droop. Yawning, Leo stood and went back to bed, where he slipped off into a place full of warmth and Arella...though his mind still couldn't seem to clearly capture her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

It was still raining the next day, though it was only a soft drizzle. Leo's heart began to thump in anticipation; no matter what the weather was like, he was seeing Arella tonight. He hadn't seen her in over twenty-four hours now. The withdrawal was painful; he ached to hold her, to whisper how much he loved her.

He focused on his training that morning, and when his brothers went up to skateboard despite the dampness, he stayed put and did some tidying up around the den. He was just finishing when Splinter approached him. He wasn't frowning, but he wasn't really smiling, either.

"I am very pleased with your efforts the last few days," he began. Leo perked up immensely.

"I have decided to lighten your punishment a little," Splinter continued. "You may go out and patrol with your brothers each night, but you are not to venture out alone for now. After that we shall see."

Leo's spirits sank in a hurry. "Thank you, Master Splinter," he said absently.

His sensei didn't move to leave. His eyes continued to study him, and Leo didn't like the look in them. Splinter could tell that he was hiding something, and he wanted to know what. "One other thing," he said lowly. "Do not ever be dishonest with me like that again. Understood?"

Leo nodded. "I won't."

As Splinter turned and headed to his room, Leo only hoped that he would be able to keep that promise. If he told him about Arella he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. He would have to do it soon, but first he had to figure out how he was going to see her tonight.

The solution came to him while he went out to patrol that night. It was so simple it couldn't possibly fail, and the best part was he didn't have to lie about it.

"Have you guys gotten April and Casey a wedding gift yet?" he asked as he joined his brothers topside.

They had been in the middle of a discussion about something and stopped short to stare at him. "What the heck could we get them?" Raph wanted to know.

"Lingerie?" Mikey suggested.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Dufus. We need something they can both use, not..."

His eyes glazed over. "Wait, do you mean like...kinky black lace teddies and stuff?"

Mikey grinned wickedly. "The gift that keeps on giving, so to speak."

"Changed my mind. Let's go with the lingerie. In fact, I insist."

"I was thinking," Leo cut in loudly, while Don blushed and pretended he wasn't listening to this conversation, "about giving them a painting."

Raph and Mikey stopped discussing women's underwear and stared at him again. "What kind of painting?" Mikey wondered.

"I haven't decided yet," Leo said quickly. "And that's kind of the problem; I only have a brief chance to get one, but Splinter told me not to go out by myself..."

Okay, so that wasn't completely true; the wedding wasn't for months yet and Arella had plenty of time to paint. He was just anxious to see her.

"So, you want us to go picture shopping with you?" guessed Raph.

"No," Leo said impatiently. "I want you to cover for me while I go get one while you're out on patrol."

Splinter had told him not to be dishonest with him - directly. If his brothers said that he had patrolled with them when they got home, it didn't count.

"You've been patrolling without me for a while now anyway," he pointed out.

Raph shrugged. "It's still quiet out there. I'm sure we can handle it."

"And if Splinter asks," Mikey added, "we'll be sure to tell him that you, um, led an organized patrol. You know, since this is for a good cause and all."

Leo smiled in relief. "Thanks. I'll meet you back here."

He took off, heart soaring as he ran straight for Arella's. When he got there he found her sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrubbing at that stain again. The room was aglow with candlelight, and a half-finished painting of a mountain range was on the easel.

Arella stood and padded barefoot to the window when he knocked. Leo somersaulted through the window and held out his arms, and Arella rushed into them, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

When they parted again, he let his eyes drink her in, from her coppery curls to her cute little toes. She was wearing paint-splattered jeans and a snug, casual blue tank top, but he didn't care. She was still gorgeous.

"I'm almost a free turtle," said Leo, and explained the new arrangement. "My brothers are covering for me tonight," he went on as he took a seat in the chair by the window. "So could you do me a favor?"

He quickly told her about the picture he wanted for the wedding. "I could whip something up," Arella said confidently.

"In only a few days?"

"Naturally. But in return," she said, with a mischievous grin, "you need to do something for me."

Leo felt a warm smile touch his face as she took his hands into her own. "Just ask. I'll do anything for you."

Grin broadening, Arella leaned closer and brushed her lips across his cheek. "Come with me," she whispered into his ear.

Like he would have dreamed of saying no.

He met her out in the alley, where she paused to toss soiled rags into the Dumpster. She then took his hand and led him back to that special place behind the old fence. It wasn't raining anymore, but the grass was still slightly damp and fragrant with the smell of moist soil.

He didn't mind - he kind of liked the dampness, actually - and Arella seemed perfectly comfortable as she placed the board firmly against the hole before cuddling her way into his arms. Leo wrapped them around her and lay back, his eyes on the sky above them.

The clouds were starting to clear, the stars trying to shine around them. Arella nuzzled his face, making her curls tickle his cheek. He inhaled deeply. "I love the way you smell," he murmured. "I love you, Rey."

Arella giggled softly. "You're so sweet, Little Leo."

Oh, but he loved it when she called him that. She didn't say that she loved him, too; she didn't need to. He saw it shining in her eyes, which looked more vibrant than ever as she gazed at him.

She closed her eyes dreamily and kissed him, settling comfortably on top of him. Leo rested his hands on her back and closed his own eyes, letting himself get lost in the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips. Moaning softly, Arella caressed the side of his throat and down his shoulder as she kissed all over his face. She drifted downward, her breath turning rapid as she kissed along his throat. Her lips pressed firmly against that sensitive spot where his pulse hummed; the stars seemed to swirl and blur in the sky above.

When the sky came into focus again, the stars were gone. The sky had turned dark and was full of murky clouds; thunder rumbled in the distance. Leo blinked in confusion for a moment. "What happened?" he asked weakly.

Arella was curled up on his plastron, her head tucked under his chin. She had one slender arm wrapped around him, tucked against the back of his shell, with the other stretched across him, her hand clutching his shoulder. Her bare arms felt warm - almost hot. Her creamy white cheeks bore a bright spot of color as she lifted her head to smile at him.

She giggled, her eyes glittering and bright. "You fell asleep," she said, her voice teasing.

Leo felt too lazy, too content to be embarrassed. "Oh."

He blinked again. "I had better go," he said, though he made no move to get up. His limbs felt heavy. His entire body was buzzing strangely. He almost felt giddy.

Arella sat up, and he immediately missed her warmth. He quickly reached to take her hand - or at least tried to. Instead he fumbled around clumsily for a moment before he successfully grasped it.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. "If you're allowed out now, I'll meet you outside your place."

He wasn't supposed to go out alone, but he was pretty sure he could get away with being in the tunnels, as long as he didn't go far or up to the streets. "All right," he agreed.

Leo sat up; his head swam and his vision blurred. He gave himself a shake and stood. Arella gripped his arm to steady him; her hand felt warm and strong. "I'll see you soon, Little Leo," she whispered before they parted.

When Leo got back to the agreed spot, his brothers were waiting. "Took you long enough," Raph muttered.

Leo yawned and ignored him. He was too tired to get in a fight; all he wanted now was sleep. He went and dropped down into the den, stumbled to his bed and was dreaming in seconds.

In the morning he had a hard time waking up for some reason. His body felt heavy, devoid of energy. Like he had been awake for days. Outside the subway car he heard Mikey talking.

"It was his first time patrolling in a while," he was saying. "He covered a lot of ground, too; he's just beat."

Leo felt a twinge of guilt. Mikey had always had that naughty streak of his and would fib about something if he thought he could get away with it, but he had to feel uncomfortable with what he was saying.

He would make it up to him later. For now, Leo got up and did a few stretches before sitting down to breakfast. Only he discovered that he didn't have much of an appetite, and he still felt like he could sleep for another few hours. Make that days.

Most of the morning went by in a tired haze that he didn't remember later. Around noon or so it started to rain again; growing bored, Don decided to head up to skateboard for a while.

"I'll go with you," Leo said eagerly, hurrying to dig up a spare board.

Don watched him with a frown. "Are you sure? You're looking a little droopy there."

"I'm fine," Leo said testily.

"You've been saying that a lot lately," Mikey noted.

"Mind your own damn business," Leo snapped.

Splinter glanced at him sharply; Leo glanced at his feet. "Sorry," he mumbled, before hurrying out of the den before he wound up grounded from everything, including skateboards.

Don didn't say anything as they coasted up and down the tunnel for a while, but Leo could tell that he wanted to. He kept glancing at him, mouth open, but then he would look away and shut it again.

"What's with you, anyway?" Leo imagined him saying.

Leo half wished that he would. Then he could say that he felt weird about how close he and Mikey had become, and how Raph was cracking jokes and hardly ever mad anymore, and how he felt left out of these changes.

As he thought about it, Leo realized that he really wanted to have that conversation. It would probably lead to a few apologies, a few laughs, and then everything would be all right again.

And then Leo saw a shadow on the wall ahead of him, and the thought vanished from his mind, like a retreating mist. The shadow receded; Leo sped up and turned the corner. He caught sight of Arella, who paused before turning around another corner.

Leo continued on, moving in the opposite direction as Don and doubling back again. He abandoned the board and hurried to that secluded spot, where Arella was already waiting for him.

It seemed she had also noticed that the place could be more comfortable; she had brought blankets, which she had laid out on the boards, and a few pillows. She had also brought a small radio, which was playing a soft classical tune as he neared.

Leo wasted no time flopping down on the blanket and crawling into her arms. "I missed you," he said, after he'd kissed her soundly.

"I've been waiting to see you, too," she purred, face pressed to his throat.

In the distance, he could hear Donnie still skating around. He called Leo's name once or twice, but he didn't come any closer to them.

"I'm going to have you introduce you soon," he murmured. "Then we won't have to sneak around like this."

"You want to tell them about us?" Arella wondered.

Leo thought about it. He wanted everyone - the entire world - to know how in love he was, but...

"Not right away," he said finally. "We'll work up to it."

Arella nodded, looking like she had expected that. "I have the painting half-finished," she commented.

"So soon? You sure work quick."

"I've had a long time to practice."

Leo smiled a little and rested his head against hers. He frowned a moment later as the sound of water trickling picked up as the rainwater swelled the usual overflow. He sighed. "I'm sorry I can't give you better surroundings."

"I don't mind," Arella told him.

"Seriously, you deserve better."

"It's fine," she insisted, touching his face. "I'm here to see you, not the décor."

"Even though I live in a sewer?" he said pessimistically.

"Under it, technically."

"Technically," he muttered. He wished he had thought to wash up this morning. She probably thought he smelled funny - and she always smelled so good, no doubt due to all those candles and incense she burned. Today her hair smelled like a mixture of roses and cinnamon.

"Don't be so gloomy, Little Leo," said Arella sweetly, leaning to kiss him. "Hm. Not as exotic today."

Leo laughed softly. "I wasn't hungry."

He thought for a moment. "Are you? I think Mikey has a box of Twinkies stashed somewhere around here."

Arella pulled a face. "No thank you," she said quickly. "I never eat anything with that much preservatives in it."

"Ah - so you're one of those all-natural types," said Leo, eager to learn more about the girl he loved so much.

She smiled, cheeks dimpling. "Basically. Humans put too much chemicals into their bodies. It's gotten particularly bad in the last decade or so - _everything_ seems to have chemicals and toxins in it, from shampoo to hand lotion. All that stuff gets into the bloodstream - it's really unhealthy."

She shuddered. "And that's not even going into all the alcohol and controlled substances out there," she continued grimly. "Humans are packed with so many impurities these days."

"Does that make me pure?" wondered Leo.

He ate a lot of junk food, but he didn't have to worry about things like shampoo and lotion...though Casey had coaxed him into sampling a mouthful of beer once. He'd spit it out when no one was looking.

Arella's smile was warm, her gaze glowing as she looked into his eyes. "As pure as the driven snow - to coin a phrase."

Leo grinned and leaned to kiss her. And that was when he heard footsteps approaching, slapping wetly on the concrete floor of the tunnel.

Arella rose first, though she didn't look startled or worried. Leo bolted up after her, feeling faint. A second later Mikey rounded the corner.

"There you are," he exclaimed. "We've been..."

He trailed off, eyes widening and jaw dropping. "Who," Mikey asked slowly, "is _this_?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Leo's hands and feet felt numb as he watched Arella take a seat in the living room in front of Splinter. His brothers were also watching; Mikey with excitement, Don with curiosity, and Raph with relative indifference.

"It would seem you already know about all of us," Splinter observed.

"I told her," Leo said weakly. "I..."

He wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't how he had planned this. Not that he had made any real plan for introducing Arella to his family yet.

"Leo rescued me a few nights ago," Arella said smoothly.

Splinter's whiskers twitched. "He mentioned a mugging."

Leo vaguely remembered lying about that. Arella didn't know he said that, but she brightened. "Yes, that was me. He took me home after that, and he stopped by again later to make sure I was all right."

Picking up this train of thought, Leo lowered his head. "I did," he murmured, "but I was afraid to mention it because, well...I wasn't sure how everyone would react when I said I had been seen."

"It's not like you did it on purpose," Don pointed out.

"No," Leo agreed, "but we've stopped muggings before without being seen. I got careless. I'm sorry."

This was close enough to the truth that he didn't feel bad about saying it, even though he was technically lying again. But so long as it meant he could see Arella freely now, he didn't care. He was glad he didn't have to hide her anymore.

"You're forgiven," said Mikey, his eyes glued to Arella.

His eager expression made Leo frown.

"I assume we can trust you not to speak about us to anyone," said Splinter.

Arella shook her head. "Never. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's keep a secret."

Splinter's expression was also making Leo frown. There was something strange in his eyes, something that suggested that he didn't trust Arella. It was a vague expression, like Splinter himself wasn't sure where this feeling was coming from.

On the other hand, Mikey was practically drooling, and Don was only pretending to read the science magazine he was clearly watching around. Raph was busy pumping a weight with one hand and didn't look like he was paying attention anymore.

Arella seemed to have picked up on Splinter's mood too; she flashed her best smile, making her cheeks dimple in that way that was both adorable and sexy. "I promise you, I will keep your secret until I die. But if you don't feel comfortable with me hanging around, I'll leave."

"That might be best for now," said Splinter, after a moment's silence. "If Leonardo wishes to visit you, then he is free to do so, but for the time being you should not come here."

Mikey made a sound. "Why not?"

Splinter shot him a look, and he quickly shut up. Leo wanted to demand the same thing, but he held his tongue. Arella looked surprised too, flinching like she hadn't been expecting him to withdraw Leo's earlier invitation. She stood, looking shaken.

"I understand. I'll go now. It was nice meeting you."

Before Leo could say anything, she had hurried up the stairs and climbed up the ladder. He jerked his gaze to Splinter, but he had already gotten up and was heading to his room. Leo hurried up after Arella.

"I don't know why he did that," he said after he caught up to her; she was leaning against the wall a few feet from the ladder, looking winded. "He never said any of our other friends couldn't visit whenever they wanted after we met them."

"He must have a good reason," Arella said weakly.

Leo was thinking the same thing - but he couldn't imagine what that reason could be. Arella was so sweet and innocent; he didn't understand why everyone, including Splinter, hadn't fallen as in love with her as he was.

"I have something I need to take care of," she said, pushing away from the wall. "Come see me later if you can."

"I will," he promised.

Back in the living room, Mikey hurled a ping pong ball at him. Leo watched it bounce off his shell. "Yes?" he asked icily.

"I can't believe you kept such a cute girl a secret," Mikey groused.

"I told you, I was worried about mentioning her because I thought it might get me in trouble. Well, more trouble," he added, with a glance at Splinter's room.

Splinter was visible through one of the windows; he was sitting down with his head lowered. He didn't look up, but Leo knew he had heard.

"She seems nice," said Don, who had given up the pretense of reading his magazine. Raph had drifted over to a punching bag, a sure sign that he wasn't paying the least bit attention.

"What's her profession?" asked Don.

"Why do you ask?" said Leo.

"I dunno. She seemed smart to me."

"She's an artist," Leo replied - then cringed. He shouldn't have said that.

Too late; Mikey's eyes had lit up, and he grinned wickedly. "You mean a painter," he said gleefully. "So _that's_ why you decided to-"

Leo gestured rudely for him to shut up, and Mikey closed his mouth with a frown. Leo glanced at Splinter, who looked like he was deep in thought. "So, when are you going to go see her again?" Mikey asked in a quieter voice.

Leo drifted over to the couch and sat down, absently switching on the TV. "Later tonight."

"Can I come?" Mikey asked eagerly.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because she has better things to do than entertain an immature nut like you," Leo snapped, rapidly losing patience.

Mikey quieted, looking hurt. Donnie frowned hard. "That wasn't called for," he said, disapproval plain in his voice.

Leo scoffed and sunk lower on the couch. "Whatever..."

He hoped Splinter wasn't listening to this. He would probably wind up grounded again.

But Mikey looked genuinely hurt and wasn't interested in talking anymore. He moved to another part of the room and remained unusually quiet, while Don went back to his magazine.

When evening came it was a relief. Leo noticed that he felt less tired once the sun went down, too. Not that he had to wait until after dark to visit Arella anymore; it had just become a habit.

"I'm going out," he announced, just as his brothers sat down with the mound of pizzas they had just ordered.

"Aren't you going to eat first?" Don wondered.

"Nah. I'll pick something up on my way to Arella's."

He looked over at Splinter, who was still sitting quietly in his room. "It's all right if I go, right?"

It was a moment before Splinter answered. "If that is your wish," he said quietly.

Leo almost sighed in relief. "Thanks," he said, before hurrying to the upper tunnels.

Along the way he paused at an all-night Japanese takeout stand, a place that was always in such a hurry and so dimly lit they never bothered to look at their customers - something he had learned while looking for meals Master Splinter would enjoy.

When he reached the alley next to the movie theater, Leo found a slender metal ladder propped up against the Dumpster. Pleased, he propped it up outside one of Arella's windows, scurried up and knocked politely.

"Prince Charming comes bearing gifts from exotic lands," he joked when Arella opened the window.

She giggled and took the takeout box he passed to her before crawling into the apartment. "Forget princes; Ninjas are so much more fun," she declared.

"I am so in love with you. Have I mentioned that?"

Arella smiled at him a moment, her green eyes as bright as stars in the warm candlelight. Then she looked down at the box in her hands as she popped it open. A frown touched her pink lips. "I don't think I can eat this."

"Sure you can," Leo said with a smile. "Japanese food is some of the healthiest in the world."

That was what Splinter said, anyway. When he tried in vain to get his sons to expand their dining menu a little.

Arella didn't look convinced, but she took the chopsticks Leo passed her. He sat down on the floor and dug into his own box; Arella knelt primly beside him and sampled a tiny piece of noodle.

"I'm so glad I can come see you whenever I want now," Leo commented with a happy sigh.

"Me too," she smiled.

"Although," he added, after thinking for a moment, "I should probably go out and patrol the streets later. Just so I don't get in trouble again."

Funny, he was having a hard time remembering why keeping an eye out for crime was so important.

Arella tasted another noodle, right before she fumbled the chopsticks. She set them and the takeout box down with a frown. "If I had to live somewhere else," she said, smiling again, "I think I'd like to move to Japan. All that food in one place...and it must be a lot less toxic than a place like New York."

She shook her head with a scoff. "Someone once told me to try the west coast, but pollutants are even worse over there. Coasts are supposed to be clean and crisp; why do they have to be so polluted in this country?"

Leo had more or less stopped listening after she said 'move to Japan'. "You'd go all the way to Japan without me?" he asked with a frown.

Arella glanced at his expression and laughed softly. "Of course not. It would be you and me."

What a wonderful image that made. He and Arella living all alone in some quaint little cottage near a rice paddy field. Just the two of them.

He had never really pictured life without his family before, but now that he had, he found he liked the idea greatly. In fact, if she asked him to leave with her tonight, he wouldn't hesitate to say yes.

Arella absently speared a vegetable with a chopstick and tasted it, then pushed the takeout box away. She scooted over to her stack of canvases and picked up a small square one. "I finished your painting," she said, with a hint of pride.

It was a glossy, fanciful image of pale flower blossoms, with curling white ribbon around the edges to frame the pair of gold rings in the center. They were layered so they looked like they were interlocked, and beneath them, in a pretty, flowing script, were the words 'On This Day, Our Two Hearts Became One.'

Underneath was the date April and Casey's wedding was scheduled to take place. "It's perfect," said Leo, with approval.

"It's still drying," Arella told him as she set it down again. "You can pick it up tomorrow."

"I'll be here. There's no where else I'd rather be."

Arella smiled a shy, dimpled smile - and then suddenly turned her head away. She lurched forward, gagged, and was sick on the hardwood floor. Leo set his dinner aside with a hard frown.

"I guess it was too much for you after all," he said unhappily as he reached to rub her back.

Arella choked and coughed for a moment. Leo frowned harder and glanced around the room, looking for a rag or cloth. "Here, let me clean this up for you."

"No," she said quickly, weakly. She twisted around and threw her arms around his neck. She looked horribly pale, and she was trembling. Leo held her close, stroking her curls.

Slowly, her trembling subsided, but she didn't let go of him. She rested her face comfortably against the hollow of his throat, her eyes closed tight as she leaned against him. Leo continued to hold her as he closed his own eyes.

Arella's arms tightened around him and he felt a pressure against the side of his throat. It was like her lips when she kissed him, only harder. Deeper. It was strange.

When he opened his eyes again he found himself lying on Arella's bed. Arella was on her hands and knees on the floor, scrubbing at that dark stain, which had been rubbed away to a mere spot.

"I just can't seem to get rid of all of it," she groused. She sat back on her heels, hands on her hips, and let out an annoyed huff of air. "Guess I'll have to buy a rug or something."

Leo didn't feel concerned with stains right now. His head buzzed and swam unpleasantly as he slowly sat up. "What happened?" he asked, his voice faint.

Arella glanced at him and smiled. Her eyes were oddly bright, and her cheeks were rosy. "Same thing that happened the last time you asked me that."

"I fell asleep?"

"Out like a light," she confirmed.

Leo wanted to laugh and say something about how peaceful and content he felt when he was with her, but he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't feel peaceful right now; he felt wobbly and sick, and there was a strange tingling in his hands and feet.

Groaning, he leaned his head on his hand as he struggled to swing his feet to the floor, but his legs refused to obey. "I'm supposed to be patrolling," he said dully, but he couldn't picture himself jumping rooftops right now.

Arella stood, crossed the room, placed her hands on his shoulders and gently pressed him down to the pillow. "Don't worry about it," she said soothingly. "Rest now."

She drew her hand across his forehead; her fingers were hot. "Just rest," she whispered.

Leo closed his eyes, and the world disappeared into a haze of gray and black.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, the first thing Leo noticed was that Arella was gone. The second thing he noticed was that the early dawn light peeking through the half-open slats of the window blinds made his eyes tear.

Wincing, he pressed a hand to his eyes and rolled over to face the wall. He felt terrible. His body was leaden, and his hands felt strange, like there was a fuzzy piece of cloth wrapped around his fingers, blocking his sense of touch.

Eyelids squeezed to slits, he rubbed his fingers together until, painfully, normal feeling returned. Then he sat up, as slowly as he could, but that still didn't stop his head from lurching like he was on-board a ship in the middle of a storm.

He expected to feel nauseous, but he didn't. Encouraged, he planted his legs on the floor, but it was several minutes before he gathered enough strength to stand. Leo took a look around the room, which wasn't easy - the light was horrible, and it only got worse as the sun continued to rise. He slowly grew used to it, though it still stung and made him squint as he took a few cautious steps.

The takeout boxes were gone, and candles and incense burned and filled the room with a warm fragrance that hid the scent of Arella being sick last night. The finished painting was propped on the chair by the window.

He saw the stain that was giving Arella such a hard time and understood why; it looked like it had imbedded itself permanently into the pores of the wood. It looked blackish-brown; probably spilled paint.

Leo waited a while, but when it became clear that he wasn't going to feel any better anytime soon, he picked up the painting carefully and wobbled down the ladder.

When he reached the ground he took the ladder down and tucked it behind the Dumpster; he didn't want someone finding it and sneaking into Arella's room - or anyone else's, for that matter.

When he stumbled into the den, Raph was sitting on the banister that cut through the center of the stairs, pumping a hand weight. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Well, hi, Raph," Leo said sarcastically. "Nice to see you, too."

Mikey looked up from the bag of chips he was munching on. "Seriously, where've you been? We were worried."

Leo set the painting down on a table and slumped onto the couch. "I was at Arella's."

Mikey bugged his eyes out at him. "You slept at a girl's house _all night_?"

Leo shot him his darkest look. "She slept somewhere else," he snapped. "And I wouldn't have slept there at all, but..."

Actually, he wasn't sure where Arella had slept. She could have slipped into bed next to him for all he knew; he had been so out he would never have noticed. And he wasn't sure what had happened to him, either. He remembered Arella being sick and trying to comfort her. After that things were fuzzy.

"We had some bad takeout," he said weakly, rubbing his eyes. "Arella puked, and then I passed out. She probably slept at a friend's. I don't know; she wasn't around when I woke up."

"Did you puke, too?" asked Mikey, sounding sympathetic.

"No," Leo murmured, hand pressed to his eyes.

His head was still swimming, his legs still felt like he had rocks strapped to his feet, but his stomach had been fine - until now, that is.

Having never lived anywhere else, at least not for any amount of time worth mentioning, Leo was used to the smell of sewage. The foulest odor, the fumes; he was so used to it all he never noticed. Until today.

Today, as soon as he dropped down below street level, the stench had been like a slap in the face. He had gagged most of the way home, and while the odors were faint in here, he could still smell them.

Mikey was peering at him; Leo glanced at him between his fingers. "You need anything, dude? You look pretty terrible."

"Thanks," Leo said icily.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help."

"Yeah, well, help from you turns out to be the exact opposite of help, _dude_."

For the second time in two days, Mikey retreated from him with a pained look on his face. He hurried up the steps and ladder and was gone. Don was shaking his head. "Seriously, what is your problem? You're acting like a real jerk."

"Takes one to know one," Leo shot back. Even though he couldn't remember the last time Donnie had done something that placed him even remotely in jerk territory.

Don glanced at Raph with a look that read 'Is he serious?' Raph shrugged and walked away.

"You're really pale," Don noted, his concern apparently stronger than his annoyance with Leo's rudeness.

"What's a pale turtle look like?" Leo wondered as he sank to the couch, resting his head on the arm.

"Terrible," said Don, echoing Mikey. "You don't look right at all."

"I'll be fine. Just keep it down. And turn that light off, will you? It's giving me a migraine."

Frowning, Don switched off the lamp he had been reading by and went to sit at his computers. Leo fell asleep after that and didn't wake up until after three in the afternoon.

He still felt fuzzy-headed, but his limbs didn't feel like lead anymore. He got off the couch, stretched, and headed up to the ladder.

"Wait," a gentle voice called.

Leo paused and saw that Splinter was watching him. "Where are you going?"

"To Arella's," Leo said shortly. "You said I could."

He felt his eyes narrow. "You're not going to punish me for arguing with Mikey, are you? News flash: siblings bicker. It's nothing to get your ears in a knot over."

Leo could scarcely believe his own brashness. He never talked to Splinter like this - no one did. Not even Raph when he was as upset as only he could get. Even then, he still respected their sensei. Leo was being anything but respectful right now.

Splinter looked shocked, too. He gave his head a shake. "Something is very wrong with you, my son," he whispered. "I do not know what it is, or what is to blame, but...it frightens me."

"I'm a big boy," Leo grumbled. "I can look after myself."

Without waiting for a response, Leo mounted the ladder and hurried to Arella's. Or at least he tried to hurry; he still felt sluggish, so it took him longer than usual to get there. When he finally reached the alley, he was dismayed to find that the ladder was propped outside one of her windows.

He mounted it in a hurry and looked inside - and felt a surge of red hot anger shoot through him.

Mikey was inside the small apartment, straddling the chair he had moved from its spot by the window as he watched Arella paint. He was munching on a bag of candy and kept offering some to Arella; she kept shaking her head.

Leo vaulted through the window, marched over to his brother and slapped the bag out of his hand. Mikey jumped and stared, mouth open, as candy scattered across the floor like pebbles.

"Two questions," Leo began, through clenched teeth, "one: how the hell did you find this place, and two: what the hell are you doing here?"

"We were just talking," said Mikey, getting off the chair and backing away. He looked uncertain - frightened, even. Good, thought Leo.

"That doesn't answer my first question," he said blackly.

Mikey fidgeted. "I followed you yesterday," he admitted.

Seething, Leo pointed at the window. "Out."

"Hey, I don't have to- "

" _Get out!_ "

"I don't have to go anywhere or do anything you say," Mikey hollered, his fists balling at his sides. "You're starting to act like a total psycho, you know that?"

"Oh? You think I'm not fit to lead anymore or something?"

"Maybe," Mikey said dangerously.

Leo calmly grabbed his brother by the back of his shell and shoved him toward the window; Mikey staggered and fell against the glass, crinkling the blinds in the process. "Feel free to go home and discuss that with the others," he said coldly. "And by that I mean if I ever find you anywhere near here again, I'm going to break your freakin' neck."

Mikey was gawking at him. "Jeez, what is your problem, dude?" He gave his head a shake. "You're _really_ starting to lose it, Leo."

"If I have to say 'get out' _one_ more time..."

"I'm going," Mikey snapped, exiting through the window.

Leo waited until he was gone before slamming the window shut and latching it. He closed each blind in turn, his tired eyes thanking him as the room dimmed. He then turned to Arella, who had been quietly painting the entire time.

"I hope he didn't bug you too much," Leo said as he moved the chair back to where it belonged near the window.

Arella set her paintbrush down and held out her arms, and he went to them gratefully. "He wasn't a bother, but..."

Leo coiled his fingers into her hair as he pressed his cheek against hers. "But?" he pressed grimly.

Arella let out a quiet sigh. "He shouldn't have spoken to you like that, and he shouldn't have followed you yesterday without your consent. I don't believe he respects you at all."

Leo felt something inside him tighten unpleasantly. "No," he agreed in a low voice, "I don't think he does either. I don't think any of them do."

When it came down to it, if Splinter didn't say that he was in charge and his brothers had to listen to him, would they?

He didn't think so. In fact, if Splinter wasn't around, he was pretty sure all three of them would defy him and mock his position every chance they got.

Growling low in his throat, Leo pulled away. "All I can say is that he had damn well better not show his face around here again," he muttered. "And he'd damn well better stay out of my way tonight."

Arella reached a hand out to him, trying to comfort him, but for once he didn't want to be in her arms. The sun was setting, and suddenly he felt oddly energized. There was a fire burning in his veins that he hadn't felt in ages.

"I'm going out for a while," he decided, his eyes on the sky. "I need to blow off some steam."

Arella watched as he unlatched the window, a small frown on her face. "You'll come back later, won't you?"

Smiling now, Leo reached over and touched her face. "Nothing can keep me away from you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

Leo spent a few hours moving across the rooftops above the city, though he didn't really pay attention to what was going on below. He felt strangely vibrant and alive, and leaping from building to building was effortless. He was keenly aware of the feeling of night around him, as if it were a living, breathing thing; the sounds, the smells, the wonderful darkness of it.

It seemed a shame to head below ground, especially with those horrible smells, but he was hungry. The funny thing was, he had no desire for pizza, or anything else he normally ate; he kept picturing things that were red and juicy, like berries. Funnier still was that this craving he couldn't quite name wasn't for anything that was sweet, tart, or remotely berry-like.

"The psycho returns," Mikey said caustically as Leo dropped into the den.

"Up yours, Mike."

Splinter shot him a warning look. "Leonardo," he began lowly, "I think that-"

"You know what?" Leo interrupted, temper suddenly flaring hot as fire through his center. "I don't give a crap what you think. And I don't give a crap what _he_ thinks-" he pointed at Mikey, "or him, or him," he finished, pointing at Raph and Don, who were gawking at him like he had lost what was left of his mind.

Raph recovered first, his face turning stormy. "There are a lot of things you don't do around here," he said in a very low, very dangerous voice, "but the number one thing no one does - _ever_ \- is talk to Master Splinter like that."

"Didn't I just say," Leo began, just as low and dangerously, "that I don't give a shit about you or your opinion?"

"That's not an _opinion_ \- it's a _fact_."

"Kiss my ass."

Raph lunged for him; Leo dodged easily. Then, almost as an afterthought, he swung his foot up and kicked Raph in the gut. Raph stumbled and fell on his hands and knees, where he coughed and struggled for air.

Behind him, Don had his hands on Mikey's shoulders, looking torn between helping Raph and taking Mikey and running for cover. Mikey looked too angry to run, but he also looked too stunned to do more than stare. Don looked angry, but he looked scared, too. He stared at Leo like he was a stranger.

Splinter was staring too, his expression all too clear. He was shocked and deeply disappointed. Leo snorted and shook his head.

"Oh, so I make a few mistakes and suddenly I'm not good enough?" he sneered, his tone sharp and accusing. "I can't mess up like everyone else around here? Well, I've got news for you; it wasn't _my_ idea to make me leader. Nobody ever asked _me_ what _I_ wanted. So if I've turned out to be a lousy choice in the end, that's _your_ fault, not mine."

Mikey and Don were gaping like they couldn't believe what they were hearing. Leo could scarcely believe it himself - but at the same time he felt elated. It felt good to get all his dark feelings out in the open.

Splinter looked so stunned, and so hurt, he almost felt bad about it...almost.

On the floor, Raph had finally got his breath and was struggling to get up. "That's it," he coughed. "You're asking to get your ass handed to you and then some."

"Let me know when you find someone who can do that," said Leo, before calmly nudging him with his foot.

Well, nudged was probably the wrong word. A mere nudge wouldn't have rolled Raph across the floor until he crashed into a table. While table and contents crashed on the floor and his brother, Leo turned away emotionlessly and climbed out of his home. As he darted down the dark tunnels, it occurred to him that if he kept this kind of thing up, it probably wouldn't be his home anymore.

He didn't care. He had Arella. He would be perfectly content if it were just the two of them. Maybe he could talk her into moving to Japan soon. Or maybe back to the homeland of her ancestors. As long as they were alone and together, he would be happy.

When he reached her apartment, the ladder was resting outside the open window, and candles burned inside. The fragrance was heady and welcoming, like she had been expecting him. Brimming with love, Leo hurried inside, kicking the ladder down and closing the window behind him.

"Just a moment," said Arella.

Leo turned and noticed that a curtain had been pulled around the back corner, where the toilet and sink were. Arella was moving around behind it, and he heard the sound of water running. "Take your time," he said.

He sat down and let his eyes wander. It was small, but he had come to love this place. It felt more homey than home these days. He looked over at the new painting, the one Arella had been working on earlier today.

It was of an elaborate fountain, with green grass stretching in front of it and trees growing nearby. Behind it was a blue-gray sky and tall buildings. Like all her other pictures, there were no people around, though it was clearly a public place.

"Where's this supposed to be?" he wondered.

Behind the curtain, he saw the vague outline of Arella raising her arms and wiggling into something. "Grant Park, in Chicago."

"Chicago?" Leo echoed in surprise. "You've been there?"

"Several times. I've been all over."

Leo felt himself smile, affection swelling inside him. "My little Rey is so well-traveled."

Arella chuckled - that liquid velvet sound that made him shiver pleasantly. He had to remember to make her laugh more often.

Things grew quiet behind the curtain, and Leo looked at the painting again. Something about that name - Grant - reminded him of something, but he couldn't think of it.

Arella suddenly pushed back the curtain, and then all thought vanished from his mind.

She was dressed in a tiny slip of a nightie; pearl-gray with a scalloped hem and string-thin straps. It hung just past her bottom and shifted around her like flower petals as she moved. It was fairly sheer in the candlelight and he was pretty sure she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

Smiling coyly, she tapped his nose as she floated past him. "Bedtime, Little Leo," she purred.

Leo wasn't sure if that was or wasn't the invitation it sounded like, but he didn't care right now. Arella paused to latch the window, then bent to turn the bed down, and Leo all but dove onto the mattress and rested his head comfortably on the pillow. Her smile a little sly now, Arella crawled up beside him and stretched out across him, resting on his plastron as she straddled him.

Her soft curves brushed him through the thin fabric of her nightie, making him shiver as he ran his hands down her back. Her mouth felt firm and hungry as it sought his, and he shut his eyes and let himself be swept away to wherever this was taking him.

Arella's lips and hands moved all over his face, shoulders and throat, whisking his breath away with her haste. She kissed and nuzzled the hollow of his throat before drifting to a spot a little higher.

Leo felt his head spin, like the world had melted away and he was falling freely. Falling to a place where nothing else existed; just him and the girl he loved. He longed to go to such a place, and he vaguely felt the shape of his own arms as they grappled for Arella, pulling her closer as he clutched at her curls.

And then a sound shattered the moment like a goblet crashing to the floor. Leo let out a startled cry; all of a sudden he was in pain.

His head spun and the world was like a blinding pool of color before his eyes, and the revelation suddenly came to him that he had been in pain the entire time. He just hadn't noticed. Not until Arella pulled away and sat up. She looked down at him with eyes glittering like green fire and lips stained like she had gotten a little too carried away with a jar of cherry preserves.

The sound came again; knocking. Someone was knocking on the door.

Leo opened his mouth to scream - for help and for the sheer insanity of what he was seeing. Arella slapped her hand over his mouth with such force he saw stars and felt the impact rattle painfully through his neck.

Arella's smile was sweet and sadistic as her eyes bore into his. Something dark lit within them, something ancient and feral. Why didn't he see it sooner?

"It's late, Jim," Arella called out calmly. "What do you want?"

Jim belched, and he sounded tipsy as he spoke. "Just wondering if you've seen Rick. He hasn't been around in a few days."

Arella's red lips peeled back into a delighted grin, revealing two pointed teeth, long and curved and slender as a cat's. "No, Jim, I haven't seen Rick."

She placed the faintest emphasis on 'seen', followed by drawing her pink tongue over her lips.

Jim left, and Arella ran a delicate fingertip over her mouth, wiping it clean. Leo watched her slide it over her tongue, thinking about how he had always thought those little hands were so delicate, so fragile. The hand clamped over his mouth and pinning him down to the mattress was none of those things.

She felt and looked airy and insubstantial, straddled on him like that, but he was suddenly filled with the knowledge that he couldn't have thrown her off if he tried. And he couldn't try; he felt dizzy and weak, the same way he had when he woke up this morning, only much, much worse.

Now he knew why.

Arella 'tsked' at him. "Poor Little Leo," she cooed. "Is your little fantasy all broken to pieces?"

Her tone was taunting and cruel. She knew he was in pain - both physically and emotionally - and was mocking him for it.

He didn't want to face this. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare or just die and be done with it. And he was alone - completely alone. He had burned too many bridges at home to expect anyone to help him now.

Arella chuckled - it didn't make him shiver in delight this time - and withdrew her hand. Leo's head rolled to the side, where he lay limply, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"I've come across easy prey before," Arella noted, sounding amused, "but you..."

She gave her head a shake. "You were downright ridiculous. So lost and lonely, you may as well have handed yourself to me with a little pink bow around your neck."

She laughed a second later and rolled off him, curling up at his side with her head propped on her palm.

"You're really quite pathetic," she mused. "All that whining...it really got tiring to listen to. And you really couldn't tell that I was only humoring you all this time? Some ninja you turned out to be."

I'm going to die, Leo thought. He had survived so many battles, beaten so many odds, and this was how his life would end. And he would die, he thought bitterly as tears stung his eyes, with his family believing that he hated them.

And then another thought struck him, one so horrible it made his eyes dry as they widened.

Maybe death wasn't in his future after all, but something...else. His sudden sensitivity to light, and that energized feeling he got after the sun went down, and that craving for something red...

Arella pursed her plump lips and tapped his nose. "I'm not interested in keeping you, Little Leo," she told him coldly. "I was never interested in making you my pet. You would need to be a lot more special than you are for me to give you that privilege."

Leo caught his ragged breath; had he been thinking out loud without knowing it? No, he was so weak he couldn't talk. No, she had been listening to the one thing no being, living or otherwise, had any business listening to; his thoughts.

It was with a chill of horror that he realized she must have been peering into his mind the entire time, looking into the place she didn't belong and playing off his worries and fears. Arella smiled jovially at him, clearly amused that he had finally figured it out.

"You'd _almost_ make a fun pet," she allowed, drawing her hot hand over his face. "But that isn't what I want from you."

Leo's senses and muscles pulled tight, knowing what was coming. Somehow - he wasn't sure how he managed it - he pulled together the sliver of strength he had left and rolled off the bed just as she tried to strike.

He hit the floor with a painful thump and staggered to his feet. He didn't stop to think or look where she was; he grappled for the window and tugged. It refused to budge and his addled mind remembered the latch.

He fumbled at it in vain - his fingers were too numb and uncoordinated to work it - before giving up. Seizing the chair, he swung with all his might. The window shattered and he threw himself into the air even as the glass fell.

He tried to grab onto something to slow his fall, but there was nothing to grab. He hit the pavement sharply, the impact rattling his bones and knocking the wind out of him as the glass cut into his skin. Nerves burning and lungs heaving, Leo scrambled to his feet and took off running.

He truly tried to run. He tried with all his might, but with his body drained - literally - and his feet torn on the glass, all he could manage was a limping shuffle. Panting, he lumbered for the grate - in desperation he was hoping that he could outmaneuver her if he was in the sewers - and felt ice water shoot through his veins.

The Dumpster had been moved. It now rested squarely over the grate, blocking it completely. Leo knew he could move it - but even if he had all his strength, it would still take him several long pushes to shove it out of the way.

He didn't have that kind of strength, or that kind of time.

Behind him, he heard a sound. A soft, quiet sound, like a nail scratching across stone. His tired heart pounding in his ears, Leo turned slowly.

And felt everything he knew to be real and right in the world being ripped from its foundations.

Arella was clinging to the wall. Not in the way that he had, fingers and toes gripping at window ledges - no. She was clinging directly to the brick, descending headfirst toward him - like a lizard. Like a spider. Her arms and legs were bent at inhuman angles.

That's because she _is_ inhuman, a voice inside him said. She's a...

He couldn't think of the word. He knew it, and he was sure that he knew it - knew what Arella truly was - but it was like someone had placed a cover in his mind, hiding it. He couldn't form the word in his mind - or with his mouth.

Arella's own mouth was open, lips pulled back in a feral grin as she peered down at him through the curls tangled around her face. "Go ahead and run, Little Leo," she called, voice soft and lilting. "I greatly enjoy this part of the hunt."

Leo started to move, but he still couldn't run. Fiery pain shot through the bottoms of his feet and up his legs, and he left streaks of blood in his wake. He could feel bits of glass still stuck in his skin; he probably needed stitches.

He didn't care. All he cared about was getting away, getting to safety. But where was it safe? Where could he go where she couldn't reach him?

The answer came to him amidst the jumble of memories swarming in his mind, memories of old books and black-and-white movies. He doubted any of what he had ever seen, heard or read was true - a thought that almost made him laugh out loud hysterically. He had never believed that any of it was true, yet here he was. Trying to escape something that by all rights shouldn't exist.

Still, his mind focused on one bit of lore that hinted at truth; Splinter had told Arella she wasn't welcome in their home, and she had immediately left. And she had never come back, instead waiting for him to go to her.

That was where it was safe. He had to go home. He had to go home and warn his family.

Behind him he heard a soft thump; Arella dropping from the wall and landing quietly on the ground, gentle and light as a cat. He suddenly had an image of a slinking panther, like he had seen in nature films, prowling through the shadows as it stalked its prey. No doubt Arella looked the same as she followed him.

Leo didn't stop to look. He kept on going, dragging his near-useless feet with him, wincing and grunting with every step. He bumped into and knocked over a trash can; it banged and rolled across the ground, making a dog bark in the distance. Arella chuckled quietly.

Help me, Leo thought silently, desperately. Someone, anyone, help me...

A silent plea that was both a desperate cry and a prayer. That was what he was doing now; praying for his life, his very soul.

Leo didn't often look to a higher power - but he had never faced something that was altogether evil like this. And that was what Arella was. Evil.

She chuckled again. Her voice was close - much too close.

"That's right," she cooed. "I'm like nothing you've ever faced before. And go ahead and yell for help if you want; it would be interesting to see what would happen when the neighbors come running out and see you and me together. Who would they help, I wonder?"

"Get out of my head," Leo hissed.

"Never bothered you before."

Grunting and panting, Leo stumbled off the sidewalk and onto the empty street. And then his eye fell on something that made his veins fill with relief and hope; a sewer lid.

It was several feet away, and it would take a minute to pry it open. Too late, he thought, body aching with exhaustion and terror. He would never make it.

As he staggered toward the lid, he looked over his shoulder. Arella was still standing on the curb, her face hidden in shadow. The shape of her eyes shone in the darkness - a yellow-white glow. The eyeshine of an animal who could see in the dark.

"Go on home," Arella said calmly. "I'm not going to chase you."

"Liar," Leo spat as he knelt and fumbled for the lid.

Everything she had ever said to him was a lie. Everything.

"Not everything," she corrected. "The story of my history was the truth. It's not my fault you thought I was joking."

"Stay out of my head!"

"You're a little fool, you know that? I can't go where I'm not welcome. I'm in your head because you want me there."

"I don't," Leo said desperately as he managed to lift and roll the lid aside. "Not anymore."

She laughed musically. "Too late," she said sweetly.

She was mocking him and enjoying it, but she didn't move, even as he gripped the edge of the hole and tensed to drop down. He knew that she knew as well as he did that she couldn't reach him once he was inside his home, so he didn't understand what she was waiting for.

"It doesn't matter," she said, answering his thoughts. "I'm satisfied for tonight. But I'll come for you tomorrow," she added, her soft tone full of warning. "I'm going to call you, and you're going to come to me. You're going to give me what I want."

Leo braced himself; the impact when he landed was going to _hurt_. "Never."

He dropped below the street and hobbled home through the pain, with Arella's twisted laughter echoing in his ears.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

As soon as Leo half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder and into the safety of his own home, as soon as his torn and bloody feet hit the floor, Raph pounced him.

"How can you even _think_ of showing your face around here after that shit you pulled?" he roared as he grabbed him and shook him.

He looked like he wanted to punch him, but Splinter was watching, so he settled for violent shaking.

Leo was trembling in pain and exhaustion and crying tears of relief. He fell forward, grabbing Raph's shoulders. He didn't care what had happened today - it felt like a lifetime ago. None of that mattered now. Just because he was safe didn't mean it was over. He had to protect his family from this threat - he had to _tell_ them.

"You have to help me," he whispered, too weak to so much as raise his voice.

"Help you?" Raph spat. "You were a complete asshole to Splinter and now you want me to _help_ you?"

"Raph, please," Leo begged, stumbling.

His legs didn't want to hold him anymore; as he continued to stumble forward, he pushed Raph back. Raph wobbled and nearly tumbled backward down the stairs. He let go of Leo to grab onto the railing; Leo continued to cling to his brother.

"It's Arella," he said desperately. "She's-"

"The reason you're acting like this," Raph growled. "You started acting bonkers practically the minute you met her, and-"

"Raph, _please!_ You have to help me stop her!"

"Stop her?" Raph echoed, looking disgusted. "What'd you do, have a lover's spat? Like I give a damn."

"No, she's..."

Raph tried to push him away, but Leo refused to let go. He had to make him understand, but he didn't know how to explain it. Over Raph's shoulder he saw Don, watching them warily. Splinter was watching them too, but there wasn't any sign of Mikey.

He wanted to tell them - to say what Arella was - but he couldn't. The word was still covered, hidden from him, like a locked box he couldn't open.

I have to show them, he thought.

"This is Arella," he whispered, and put his teeth on his brother's neck.

Raph cried out in pain and shoved him away. Leo let go and staggered back, grabbing onto the ladder to keep from falling. Raph was clinging to the railing as he backed down the stairs, his eyes round as he put a hand on his throat.

"You're insane," he whispered. He lifted his hand and watched the blood trickle down his fingers. Leo watched with him, feeling his heart drop inside him; he hadn't meant to bite that hard. He had only wanted to show him what Arella was, what she had done to him.

" _You're absolutely freakin' insane!_ "

Leo turned and fled back up the ladder. He stumbled to the secret corner - that place he and Arella used to meet - and curled up on a blanket and wept. Near his head was the radio; he punched it away from him, sending it clattering across the concrete.

His family couldn't help him now. He had destroyed what was left of his relationship with them. Arella was right; he _had_ handed himself over to her. And he had done it gladly.

Like any predator, she had honed in on her prey's weakness, using her beauty, her gentle voice, her comforting words to lure him in. He hadn't even put up a fight.

"I have to stop her," he whispered out loud.

He couldn't let her get to his family, no matter how much they hated him right now. She had tricked him into believing that he hated them, but he didn't. He loved them with all his heart, each and every one of them. He would die for them - and probably would before this was over, he thought bitterly.

As he lay there in the darkness - which didn't seem very dark to him right now - he thought about what he was going to do. About how he was going to stop her. But he didn't have any idea where to begin, or which of the things he knew were and weren't true. He didn't even know if he was truly safe if he went home - he wasn't sure of anything.

His tired thoughts went around and around for hours, but he couldn't sleep. He was too scared - scared for his family and scared for himself. Sometime near dawn he got up and crept back to the ladder. Funny, he noted absently; his feet didn't hurt so much anymore.

When he got inside, everything was quiet and dark. The subway car was closed, and not even a single candle flickered in Splinter's room. Leo crept to his door - and felt like a fist was knotting in his stomach.

Splinter was curled up on his bed, clawed fingers clutching at a cushion as he dreamed. The fur beneath his eyes was damp.

Their master never showed much emotion when he was with them, always staying the calm center, the gentle force that their entire family was built around. And Splinter had known, Leo realized bitterly. He had known from the start that something was wrong with Arella, that she was dangerous. He hadn't known just what was wrong, so he had quietly done what he could to try and keep his family safe.

And he had tried to warn him. He had tried more than once to tell him that something was wrong - with him, with his life. Leo refused to listen, and now look what happened. His unshakable sensei had watched their family falling apart at the seams, fighting each other, attacking each other...and cried himself to sleep.

Leo felt tears flood his own eyes as he rested a hand on the doorframe. "I love you most of all," he whispered. "You've given me everything...and I won't let anyone hurt you."

He crept back up and sat with his shell rested against the wall, just outside the hole that led into his home. The sun rose into the sky, bringing with it a heavy sense of weariness and fatigue, but it also brought him a sense of relief; Arella shouldn't come for him until nightfall.

Or maybe his security was completely false, he realized with an icy chill. He had never met her outside during the day, but he had been to her apartment in the morning. That first time he met her there, the room had been aglow with morning light. She kept the blinds partly closed, but it didn't seem to bother her.

It sure bothered _him_. Even soft light seared his eyes. But if the stories were true, that had something to do with her age. She had been...what she was...for a while now. And he...

Leo shuddered and swallowed down the bile rising into his throat. It couldn't be permanent. This thing that was happening to him - this part of her that was inside him - just couldn't be permanent. It had to go away with time.

He struggled with his tired thoughts and tried to come up with a plan as the day dragged on. Below him, he heard movement as his family moved around, though they only spoke in low tones he couldn't hear. No one tried to come up, for which he was glad; he couldn't handle talking to any of them right now, but he didn't want to move. He wanted to stay close to where he would be safe when Arella came around.

It was just before sunset when he felt her. He didn't hear her or see her, but he knew she was somewhere close by. He felt a touch, though not a physical one. It was like a touch inside his mind.

 _Come here, Little Leo._

"No," Leo whispered out loud.

 _Don't be scared. I won't hurt you._

"You hurt me last night," he reminded her angrily.

 _That was an accident. Jim startled me. I would never hurt you on purpose. You know that, don't you?_

He thought he did, but Leo didn't believe her lies anymore. "Just go away," he ordered tiredly. "You don't have power over me anymore."

 _Then why are you coming to me?_

"I'm not."

But even as he spoke, he was getting to his feet. Walking to the nearest way up to the street.

 _That's right. Come give me what I want._

"I won't," Leo hissed as he pushed open a grate and crawled out.

The air outside was thick with approaching rain and exhaust fumes, and full of sounds; voices in the distance, vehicles rumbling, machinery humming, nightly birds and insects singing. It was all layered in a way he never noticed before. A nearby streetlamp flickered dully; Leo winced and shielded his eyes.

"Over here, Little Leo," came Arella's voice behind him. "The pain will all go away soon."

Leo wanted to scream, to fight, to run and escape. Instead, he turned and started in the direction of her voice, tears streaming down his face. The shadows were long and dark, but he could see her clearly. She was dressed in her boots and coat, the hood drawn back. She held out her hands with a smile; Leo reached out with his own, silently cursing himself the entire time.

"I hate you," he whispered as Arella closed her hands around his wrists.

Her smile deepened. "I know."

Her grip tightened painfully and she swung him around, slamming his shell against the brick of the wall behind him. She pinned his arms to his sides and struck, with the same fluid motion of a snake.

She didn't bother dulling the pain with mental illusions this time. This time, she let him feel it all; the sharp stab of her teeth, the burning feel of them sinking into his flesh. The heat of his blood as it oozed from his veins and into her waiting mouth.

He hated it all, and he hated _her_. He hated her even as part of him still loved her - or at least loved the illusion of herself she had made for him. That person wasn't real, he told himself. She had never been real. The real Arella - well, there probably wasn't even an Arella. He didn't know what her real name was.

It had all been a lie, and that was partly why he cried as she fed from him. It hurt to have that beautiful illusion destroyed. As his vision blurred as he teetered close to unconsciousness, he wondered vaguely about what hurt worse; that the girl he had loved so much was a lie, or that he had been so stupid as to fall for every last part of it.

Arella suddenly let go and stepped back, and Leo fell to the ground, gasping and trembling. Arella wiped her mouth as she knelt at his head. "You know something?" she asked casually, teasing the ends of his bandana. "I hate the way you smell."

"Sewer," Leo mumbled dimly.

"Not that. The other smell. You know..."

She pinched his nose. "Turtle. But that's all right; it's not the wrapper I'm interested in, it's the sweet, juicy candy center."

Snickering at her own joke, Arella stood and started walking away. "I'll be back tomorrow," she called over her shoulder.

Still lying on the ground, Leo's vision blurred and spun as he watched her boots retreat. "I won't come out next time," he mumbled.

She snickered again. "You will."

Leo wasn't sure how long he lay there, but it wasn't until a pair of curious and very confused winos started poking him that his senses returned to him. It was long after nightfall and though he felt weak as he staggered to his feet and ran past the yelping drunks, he knew it wouldn't take long for his strength to return.

Back beneath the streets where he belonged, Leo hurried home. In the tunnel outside the den, he heard the sound of a skateboard drifting back and forth. He rounded the corner and saw Don, absently coasting along while obviously deep in thought. Leo waited until he drifted back towards him before stepping out and grabbing him by the arm.

Don yelped in surprise as he was yanked off his board. Leo tightened his grip and stared at him hard. "I'm not asking," he said lowly, "I'm telling you. You _have_ to help me."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"Leo, I don't know _how_ to help you," said Don after Leo let go of his arm.

"Just listen to me," Leo told him firmly, but his brother was shaking his head.

"First you cuss out Splinter," he muttered, mostly to himself. "Then you kick Raph around the room like a doll. And then you bite him like a freakin' vampire! Just what-"

Leo swayed on his feet and grabbed the nearest object for support. His mind whirled and his eyes went blind; the cover had been lifted. "That's it," he said hoarsely. "That's what she is."

"Who?"

Leo blinked and saw that he had grabbed Don by the shoulders. Don had his face scrunched up like he was in pain; Leo hastily let go. "Arella," he answered, breathless with excitement.

"I figured as much. What about her?"

"What you just said," Leo explained impatiently.

Don looked confused. "When? What did I say?"

"Vampire," Leo cried. "That's what Arella is. A vampire."

Now Don was staring at him like he had grown a second head - and maybe a third one while he was at it. Leo had expected as much, but he didn't have time for this. "I know, I know, I sound freakin' crazy, but I'm not jerking you around. Look, she just bit me a couple of hours ago."

Something odd flickered across his brother's face. "Um, well, some girls are into that sort of thing."

Leo let out an impatient huff. "Not like _that_ , idiot. She was making a meal out of me. Check out my neck if you don't believe me."

That hadn't occurred to him before - and it should have. But the closed box had been opened, and now all sorts of things were flooding into his mind. Images of crosses, holy water, wooden stakes...if any of those things even worked. He still wasn't sure, but he was giddy with the thought of trying.

Only he couldn't do it alone. He needed help - he had to _make_ his brother believe him.

Brow furrowed and mouth pulled down in a frown, Donnie was tentatively inspecting his throat. "There are marks," he admitted, sounding surprised about it. "But they could have been caused by just about anything."

Don was probably the worst one to go to. This was too out there for him, too big of a stretch for his scientific mind to take. Mikey would be a better choice - but he was mad at him. So was Raph - even talking to Raph right now wasn't an option. And he couldn't face Splinter. Not yet.

His only choice was to convince his logic-minded brother, no matter what it took. "She bit me," Leo insisted. "She grabbed me and she pinned me to a wall. She's stronger than anything or anyone I've ever fought with before. She could probably have kicked the crap out of the entire Foot Clan by herself."

"That tiny girl?" Don asked incredulously.

"She held my arms until they went numb, Don. Look!"

As he spoke, Leo thrust out his forearms, wrists facing upward. With a frown, Don looked - and made a sound. Leo could practically hear the limits of his knowledge - what he knew to be right and good in the world - being stretched beyond its capacity.

Leo's wrists were darkly bruised. Not in spots and speckles, like after he'd been in a fight. With the distinct markings of someone's fingers, each digit clearly defined. Each slender, delicate digit - fingers that had no business wielding that kind of strength.

Don ran a hand over his own forehead and took a step back. "Okay, that kind of scares me a bit," he admitted.

Leo's mind was churning, trying to come up with a course of action, but he was drawing a blank. That was what he needed Donnie for; he was too worn out, too spent. He needed Donnie's brain, and he needed it on his side.

"It's okay if you don't believe that Arella is the walking dead," he said slowly, absently rubbing his wrist. "As long as you believe me when I say that she's evil and trying to kill me. And maybe you, too. Maybe all of us."

Something else flickered across Don's face - something fearful. "But why?" he wanted to know.

Leo snorted. "Just hungry. Just enjoying the hunt. That's all."

And then he remembered a conversation the two of them had had. He started to laugh - laugh so hard he had to sit down on a nearby ledge. Don was eyeing him warily and didn't sit with him. "Because we taste better," he explained, gasping for breath. "She all but told me so - god, I can't believe how stupid I am. She practically spelled it out to me and I still didn't see it."

"I'm confused," said Don, who was shaking his head. "Suppose I believe this vampire thing - which I don't - but don't they feed on humans? We may be sort of shaped like them, but we're still turtles."

Leo hadn't forgotten that, or about Arella chiding him over his smell. "She told me something about humans having too many impurities in their blood these days. She's a couple hundred years old, if what she told me about her past is true; a lot has changed since then. Food is full of dyes and preservatives, day to day products are full of chemicals - and then there's drugs, booze and cigarettes. She's a bit of a gourmet and got tired of all that, so she found something close to human that doesn't have all that junk flowing inside them. Namely us."

Don was sitting down now, rubbing the side of his head. Leo could tell that the gears of his mind were turning, and turning hard. "But even then, we're still not human," he said. "We're still animals. If animals are okay, why doesn't she just stick to wildlife?"

Even though Don didn't believe a word he was hearing - even though he thought Leo was crazy - he was still trying to work out logical reasoning behind what Leo was telling him.

Bless you, Donnie, thought Leo.

"I'm pretty sure we can forget the Hollywood rules," Leo said thoughtfully, "but some things might be true. Some stories say that animals can keep them alive, but they aren't satisfying. A vampire who feeds only on smaller creatures is a weak and perpetually hungry vampire. Something about the size, strength and intelligence of humans...they feed on that right along with the blood. Our bodies aren't human, but our minds are the same."

In fact, Arella had probably rejoiced when she found a worthy alternative. And that was why Leo believed she planned to feed on them all slowly, one by one. She was going to savor them for as long as she could...but eventually she would drain them all dry.

"That would make sense," Don allowed slowly. "You know, if you were right. If all this was real."

Leo looked at him hard; Don recoiled a little. "How about this, then? Something's happening to me. She told me that..."

She had told him she wasn't interested in making him her pet. That must mean there was something more that had to be done to make him like her. Sharing her blood, probably. So far all he'd had was...

He gave his head a shake. "She's bitten me. I don't know how many times - she did something to my mind so I can't remember. But it was enough times for me to notice a change."

He continued to stare at Don; Don stared back with the look that said his knowledge was being stretched too far again. "Look at it this way; it's like an infection. Can you handle it if you think of it like that? She bit me and now her saliva is inside me. Whatever she is, whatever she has, she's given it to me."

Leo closed his eyes for a moment; his hands were trembling. "I feel tired during the day and stronger at night. Even soft light hurts my eyes. And earlier..."

He swallowed thickly. He had been trying hard not to think about that moment, but now he had no choice. "Earlier, when I bit Raph."

Don cringed. "That..."

"I was only trying to get him to understand," Leo said quickly. "I couldn't _say_ it. I wanted to scream at everybody, "Arella's a vampire!" but I couldn't. She blocked the word out of my head somehow. So I thought I'd _show_ what she is."

Leo shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "It was crazy - I know it was. But it's worse than that."

What was worse was that he had liked it. He had liked the taste of his brother's blood, the feel of it in his mouth. He had wanted more.

Leo hated admitting this to Don, but he did. He explained it all in shame, with tears stinging at his eyes. But when he finished, Don didn't run away. Instead, he leaned back a little and sighed. His eyes were distant.

"Okay, I don't really understand all of this," he said slowly, quietly, "but I can definitely see that something is really, really wrong here. And it all started when you met her - she must have done something to you. I don't know what - hypnotic suggestion, maybe? To make you babble about craziness like this so no one will believe you and leave you vulnerable to what's really going on? I don't know, but..."

He sighed again and stood. "But I'm not leaving you alone right now. We're going to figure this out."

Leo wanted to throw himself at his brother's feet and weep his gratitude. He didn't care that Don didn't completely believe his story, that he would rather believe that something else - something safer - was going on. As long as Don believed he needed help and was willing to give it to him, he was happy. The rest would come later.

"The logical thing now is for you to keep away from Arella," Don said sensibly.

Leo smiled grimly. "I tried. I fought with all my might a little while ago, but it was no use. She called to me, and I went to her - just like she said I would. Right now I feel like I would sooner chop off my own feet than go within fifty yards of her, but she'll probably make me come to her again the next time. She has my will so tight in her hand, she may as well have me on a leash."

Don was making a face; the gears were spinning again. "That's some seriously messed up brainwashing," he decided.

"Call it what you like."

"So, keeping away from her won't help if she can manipulate you like that."

"Nope."

"Well, what's our course of action, then?"

Leo smiled grimly again, and when Don drew back with a look of worry, Leo knew that his eyes were glittering with the same fire that burned in Arella's. "Simple. We have to kill her."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

Donnie looked absolutely horrified. "Kill?" he echoed shrilly. "Leo, I know we're ninjas, but we're not _that_ kind of ninja. We don't..."

He let out a shudder and shook his head. "We don't do _that_."

"It's either her or us," Leo said calmly. "Remember, once she's finished with me, she'll be coming after the rest of you."

He didn't think Don would be next, though. A new thought was niggling at the back of his mind, but he was too distracted to listen to it right now. Don was still shaking his head.

"Leo, we're supposed to protect people, not hurt them."

"She's not a person," Leo said simply. "She's a monster. A soulless demon."

"She's _convinced_ you," Don corrected, "that that's what she is - boy, has she _ever_ convinced you, but..."

"But nothing," Leo interrupted, losing patience. "We need to act now, before it's too late. Before she figures out what I'm doing."

Maybe she already knows, he thought, the idea chilling him to the bone. Maybe she was listening to his thoughts this very moment. He imagined a brick wall surrounding his mind and plunged ahead.

"I understand if you're not worried about _me_ ," he hurried on. "But think about the others. Think about Splinter. Think about..."

Leo trailed off. That thought wasn't niggling anymore. It was scratching, clawing, ripping through his mind as it roared for his attention. Leo felt himself go pale. "Mikey," he whispered.

That was what was bugging him; he hadn't seen Mikey when he went home last night, and he hadn't heard his voice as he sat outside all day today.

He grabbed at Don's arm. "Where is he?" he demanded.

"I don't know," said Don, his expression turning worried. "He took off yesterday, right after you kicked Raph across the room. He never came back."

Leo felt the blood in his veins, flowing so nice and hot with excitement a minute ago, turn cold. "She has him."

"You don't know that," Don said uncertainly.

"I _do_ know it!" Leo hollered. He let go and hurried for the nearest route topside. "Believe me or don't, just know this; if we don't go look for him _now_ , we're never going to see him again."

Not alive, anyway.

It was enough to make Don follow him. "Shouldn't we go get Raph?" he asked as they moved through the alley above.

"No time; between him wanting to beat me up and me not being able to keep from hurting him as I defend myself, it would take hours to convince him."

It was funny; Leo thought he had known the shadows as a ninja. That he was one with the night. He knew now that even his most flawless act of stealth was nothing compared to how he moved that night, how each slant of darkness seemed to beckon him, welcome him, embrace him as he darted through back alleys, around signs, through throngs of people.

He was almost to the movie theater when he noticed that Don was having a hard time keeping up. While he waited, he absently hefted a chunk of concrete that had broken away from the sidewalk and shattered the light at the street corner - the buzzing sound it kept making was annoying him. Getting rid of the light wouldn't help with Arella, but it would keep them hidden from everyone else. Plus it made his eyes feel better.

Standing there in the complete darkness, Leo found he could see better than he ever could - at night or any other time of day. Everything was shades of gray and silver, every edge sharp and in perfect clarity.

When Don caught up, he stopped to lean against the side of the building next door with him, panting to catch his breath. "I don't know how you got by that couple coming out of that club," he said, sounding amazed. "I had to wait until they stopped talking and left, but you-"

Shaking his head, he made a swooping motion with his hand. "Right between them."

Without humor, Leo described what he was seeing. Don looked impressed. "You know, that sounds pretty useful - for us ninjas, I mean."

He was trying to lighten the mood, but Leo didn't smile. Instead, he reached over and gripped his brother's face, turning his head until his throat was exposed. "Right now I can instinctively locate all the major veins and arteries on a person's body. Every spot that thumps with blood is like a neon sign to me. How's that for useful?"

He smiled ruefully; Don edged away from his grasp. "Right." He cleared his throat. "Which apartment is hers?"

Leo looked - and frowned. "The one with the ladder outside it."

He darted over to it, and Don started to follow - then stopped with a sound of dismay. "Careful, there's glass everywhere," he warned.

"I know."

Leo wasn't worried; his injuries from last night were almost healed already. Shards crunching beneath his feet, he mounted the ladder and vaulted into the apartment. It was empty.

"So, where did she go?" Don wondered when he climbed in beside him.

"Where did _they_ go," Leo corrected blackly.

There was a bag of candy on the table. It wasn't the same one he had knocked out of Mikey's hand yesterday, which had been cleaned up since then anyway. He looked ruefully down at the small stain still on the floor.

"Do we have a plan or something?"

Don sounded frustrated and tired. Leo had to admit, running over here without a plan of attack had been foolish; now he sat down to think. "Like I said, we can forget the Hollywood rules," he muttered. "She shrugs off sunlight, she has a reflection, and..."

And she had licked his mouth right after he ate garlic pizza - and laughed. She had been thinking about these silly superstitions and laughed.

"She takes showers, too."

Why was running water supposed to be bad, anyway? He had never understood that one.

When he realized he was trying to find logic in ancient folklore spread about creatures that weren't supposed to exist, he almost started laughing hysterically again.

"I think that only works if the water is holy," said Don doubtfully.

"Right. You can go rob the nearest church; I'll wait here."

Don made a face and sat on the edge of the bed. "Well, there's wooden stakes," he said slowly, sounding like he was saying it only to humor him.

That's right, Leo sighed inwardly. Humor you insane big brother.

"I think that's because wood is natural and pure," he went on. "Like how silver is supposed to work against werewolves. Pure silver is, well, pure. In ancient times it was used to fight disease and infection."

Don gave himself a shake like he couldn't believe he was even having this conversation.

"No good," said Leo. "She's too strong. We'd never be able to get close enough to stab her."

Don gave a helpless shrug. "There's fire," he said doubtfully.

Leo sat up straighter. Fire, he repeated mentally.

Something about that element - what was it Arella had said about the ocean? A living, viable entity? Fire could encompass and destroy just about anything. It was a raging force all its own.

He thought about the pain light caused him. Sunlight was often said to kill a creature like her, but maybe they were wrong. Light hurt him, but only his eyes. It didn't burn; maybe that honor was exclusive to something else entirely.

Leo stood. "There's a gas station down the street," he said, his excitement quietly growing.

Don eyed him warily. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we might be able to burn her to death. You're sure about fire, right?"

Don looked like he regretted having said anything. "I read about it once," he replied tiredly. "When I was studying legends and fables across history. It described how people who were suspected of being vampires were killed. First they put a stake through their heart, then cut the head off and set it either on their chest or stomach. Then they burned the body for good measure."

It was probably the only thing that would truly work, Leo mused. Her body wasn't ancient, but it was old enough that other methods wouldn't be strong enough. But fire could decimate her - he was sure of it.

"And this was really practiced?"

Don's eyes were tired - and fearful. "It was. They've found graves with bodies laid out just like that. But vampires aren't real, Leo; they were innocent. Just like the people who were drowned because they were accused of being witches."

"Witches are real," Leo pointed out as he moved to the window.

"You mean people who practice witchcraft," Don corrected. "They're still just people. People who do things differently than other people. But that doesn't make them..."

He gestured vaguely. "An inhuman monster?" Leo supplied.

He could tell that Don was wearying of all this. He was ready to quit and go home. "Look," he said, rising from the bed slowly, "I think we both need some rest. Let's go home; we'll talk to Splinter. We'll work this out."

Leo reached for the ladder. "Fine. But let's find Mikey first."

Once they found Mikey, Don would see. He had to - otherwise he was next. Leo was sure of it.

After climbing back down, Leo hurried to the gas station. Don followed wordlessly, silently disapproving of him as he broke into the closed garage and swiped a container full of gasoline. He made sure to grab one with a nozzle that sprayed. He also snatched up a book of matches.

As they headed around to the backs of the buildings again, Leo could tell that Don was torn between letting him continue with what Don thought was Leo's private delusion or finally stepping in and putting a stop to it. Leo would knock him out and drag him along if he had to.

"Is there anywhere nearby that Mikey would go?" Leo asked.

He was trying to smell the wind, but he was much too turtle to pick out any one scent in the millions that permeated the air around him.

Don shrugged. "There's an old half-pipe a few blocks from here," he said doubtfully. "It's pretty rundown and no one goes there anymore."

No one except a lonely young turtle who was angry at his brother and trying to impress a pretty girl with his skate moves. "Show me."

Sighing, Don led the way. As they walked in silence, Leo could tell that Don had abandoned any glimmer of belief that he'd had about Leo telling the truth; now he only believed that he was out of his mind. He didn't think for a second that they would find Arella at the half-pipe, with Mikey unconscious at her feet.

But that was exactly what they found.

Still dressed in her coat and boots, with her hood pulled forward, Arella was pacing the wooden half-pipe, though her feet didn't make a sound. Lying face-down, one arm dangling off the half-pipe to the weed-covered pavement below, was Mikey.

Don gave a cry of horror and started to bolt forward; Leo quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Don't," he warned.

Arella laughed and turned her back on the prone body. "You can take him," she said carelessly. "I'll come back for him later."

Leo slowly let go of Don's arm, and he hurried forward and knelt beside Mikey. He tried to revive him for a moment, then gave up and half-carried, half-dragged him back to where Leo was standing.

Leo blinked, and then Arella was sitting at the top of the half-pipe, legs crossed. Don did a double-take.

Arella 'tsked'. "I really expected more from a group of ninjas," she chided. "But each of you have been so easy to figure out."

She nodded at Leo. "He was so lost, so withdrawn and pitiful when I found him - getting into his mind was painfully simple. He didn't even notice. Most people notice, you know. They know that something is trying to go where it doesn't belong, they just don't know what. They toss up guards, go stiff and try to resist."

Chuckling, she shook her head. "Not Little Leo," she sighed, in the most condescending, hateful way possible. "He welcomed me with open arms."

She snorted. "Pathetic little whiner; 'Oh, my brothers aren't paying attention to me. I spent all this time isolating myself and now I'm sad because they're having fun without me. They're changing without my permission while I'm busy acting like the big grown up - because I'm too stupid to figure out that that's how _they're_ growing up. Oh, boo-hoo-hoo!'"

Leo flinched and lowered his head. Don was staring at him. "Is that really what you thought?"

Tears were burning his eyes; he forced himself to nod. "Jeez, Leo, why didn't you say something?"

"Oh, he said plenty," taunted Arella from her perch. "To me, anyway. Of course," she went on, lithely dropping down to the ground, "he probably couldn't tell you which of those nasty thoughts he had about you were really his and which were the ones I planted there myself."

Leo jerked his head up and glared at her, eyes blazing. He didn't know if she was just making fun of him, or if she was really to blame for all his recent heartache, and he didn't care.

"Leo, don't," Don cried, as Leo started spraying the ground. "I admit she's pretty messed up, but that doesn't make her-"

"A monster?" Arella supplied smoothly.

She was watching Leo drench the ground at her feet with gasoline. She didn't look remotely concerned.

The half-pipe was tucked at the back of a long alley, wedged between two abandoned buildings. A brick wall was behind them, blocking them from sight from anyone who might be passing on the street. It was the perfect isolated area; the fire would stay contained. No one would get hurt.

No one except Arella.

Arella 'tsked' again. "Is this too much for the big brain to handle?" she mocked. "Go ahead and check for yourself."

Leo knew what she meant. And somehow, Don did too.

Slowly, he lowered Mikey to the ground, cradling his head carefully as he rested him on the pavement. His fingers checked him over carefully - and he let out a sound of disbelief. Of fury. He pulled away, his fingers wet with blood.

Leo could tell that he was about to protest his own conclusion, to say that she could have punctured his neck with something - but Arella beat him to it by smiling. Her curved teeth glinted white. "You think you know everything," she cooed, "but you don't. There are things you'll never know or understand. Too bad; your stupidity will probably kill you in the end."

"Don isn't stupid," Leo spat.

Defending his brother right now probably wasn't the best thing to do, but he couldn't help it. _Nobody_ spoke about his family like that. Teeth clenched, he unleashed his fury in the form of the gasoline spray. Most of the half-pipe was soaked now.

"No," Arella amended. "Just too smart for his own good."

"Leo, we should go," Don suddenly begged. "Let's just get out of here."

"No," said Leo stonily. "I'm not leaving until she's dead. If I don't kill her now, she'll come back and kill me. And then you."

Arella shook her head. "No," she corrected, "After you're gone, Mike goes next. I had planned to use both his and your deaths as a way to get to _you_ -" she smiled at Don- "but that plan will have to change. I knew your scientific little mind wouldn't bend to me as easily as theirs, but a little stress and trauma caused by the death of two of your brothers could change that in a hurry."

She glanced down as gasoline sprayed across her boots. "That other one, though," she continued thoughtfully. "Now, _he's_ going to be a real challenge. I've never found a creature outside of the animal kingdom with that kind of will - humans just don't have it in them. The last creature I came across with a will to match my own was a wolf, about a hundred years ago."

She smiled wistfully, eyes distant. "He was special, a real treasure. I kept him for as long as I could, but he eventually grew too old to follow me."

Leo dropped the container and pulled the matches out from where he had tucked them under his belt. "Leo," Don said weakly, his voice full of warning, of fear.

"Get Mikey back," Leo ordered. "Both of you get back."

Don obeyed, dragging Mikey's limp body to the safety of the other side of the wall. To his dismay, Don came running back around a moment later.

"Don, I said get back!"

"Leo, I can't let you do this," Don said desperately. "I admit that she's seriously messed up, and maybe even what you say she is-" He eyed the fangs with wide, disbelieving eyes, "-but you can't just-"

Leo lit a match and tossed it. Flame erupted on the ground with the force of a small explosion; he had to shield his eyes and take a step back.

Arella stayed where she was by the half-pipe, hands tucked in her pockets in a sign of indifference. "I wouldn't like any of you three as a pet," she commented. "But Raphael...he's something special. I enjoy a spirited soul like that, so I think once I get to him, I just might keep him around for a few hundred years or so."

"It won't be easy, of course," she went on, as the flames licked at her boots. "I don't think even seeing the three of you dead would break his spirit. That's why once I drink the three of you dry, I'm going to find some way to get to your little master. It won't be easy - somehow he instinctively knew to keep me away - but I'll figure it out. I always do. Then I'll leave his broken little body somewhere for Raphael to find; I think _that_ , with no one left for him to turn to, will be sufficient to break him. Don't you?"

Leo's hands shook as he struck matches and threw them, until there weren't any more to throw. Behind him, Don made a sound and ducked behind his hands as the flames roared like a wild animal. In a matter of seconds they had stretched into the air above their heads like a wall, engulfing the entire alley behind them. Arella, who was standing in the center of it all, vanished from sight.

"We have to go," Don yelled over the roar of the fire. "Someone's going to see this and call a fire truck!"

"I'm not leaving," Leo said calmly. "Not until I know she's dead."

"Are you crazy?"

Don sounded hysterical. "No one can survive that. No one, not-"

His voice was drowned beneath a scream of wood breaking; the old half-pipe tearing apart and falling over. Somewhere in the middle of the sparks shooting into the air, Leo thought he saw a shadow.

No...

Boots clacked on the pavement. The heat was unbearable, but Leo felt rooted to the spot. All he could do was stare as an angelic figure emerged from the wall of fire.

Her expression was one of amusement as she slapped the flames off her clothes, which were in scorched tatters. Her skin looked scorched, too, entire patches of it black and brittle and flaking off. But even as Leo watched, the blackened flesh healed, turning speckled red, then pink, then white and perfect again.

Arella shook out her curls with one hand; in her other she was cupping a chunk of wood, which was still in flames. "What do you take me for?" she demanded, sounding insulted. "A mere fledgling?"

Scoffing, she flicked the wood at him. Leo held his ground, expecting it to leave a burn and bounce off. Instead, the spot on his arm where it struck erupted in small tongues of flame.

Yelling in fear and pain, Leo backed away and frantically slapped the flames out. Arella chuckled - how the hell had he ever thought that that sound was _nice_? - and approached him slowly.

"I really ought to grab you and toss you into your little inferno," she said, "but I hate to waste good food. I'm a savor it kind of person, but in your case I'll make an exception. You're too unruly to just let go anymore."

Before Leo could react, she had pounced on him, slamming him into the brick wall. He slid down to the ground, shell screeching in protest. Arella's fingers tightened around his throat; they felt like tiny steel bars. Her fangs gleamed in the firelight as she bared her teeth, preparing to strike.

A figure loomed behind her, and suddenly she was being pulled away from him. Her fingers slipped from his throat; a shriek of angry protest escaped her lips.

Leo blinked to clear his head and realized that Don had locked his bo around her neck. He was struggling to hold it in place; Arella was kicking and shrieking and fighting like a cornered animal. Her flailing hands found and gripped the bo; to Leo's horror, she snapped it in two like a twig.

He scrambled to his feet as she whirled on Don, fingers drawn like claws. Leo had never paid any attention to her nails; now he realized that they were like tiny daggers. Daggers that she drew across his brother's skin, leaving trails of blood in their wake.

Don recoiled with a pained yell, stumbling as he tried to get away. The fire was still raging, and blindingly bright; Leo couldn't see where Don had gone. Arella turned and faced him again, smiling her most twisted, dimpled smile.

"You're a troublesome little snack, aren't you?"

"I'm a helluva lot more than that," Leo growled.

He realized that he was pointing the tip of his katana at her throat. He hadn't even noticed that he'd drawn it.

Arella shook her head slightly, stretching out a single finger. She pressed it to the tip of the blade and slowly pushed it downward. Her glittering eyes were hard and cruel. "You're not going to hurt me with that," she said smoothly, voice dripping with false charm and allure.

"Aren't I?"

She shook her head again. "No. You're going to lower it. You're going to put it away. Then you're going to kneel down and bare your throat to me."

Leo flashed his own teeth, as harmless as he knew they looked compared to hers, as he snarled. "Never."

Only he was doing it. He had moved the blade away from her throat. Placed it safely at his side. Arella smiled her pouty lips. "Good boy," she purred. "Now put it away."

Leo felt his arm lift, like it was obeying the words she was speaking instead of the signals coming from his brain. His wrist shifted, moving his katana into position to slide back into its sheath.

His mind was raging, replaying all the images of the last few days. His pain and loneliness. Fighting with his family. Feeling lost and alone and confused. Was anyone of that even real? Or had it all just been because an inhuman beast was playing with her food before going in for the kill?

And then he thought about what she had just told him. After she was done with him and Mikey, she would go after Don. And then...

And then she was going to kill Splinter. Not feed on him - just kill him. All as part of her plan for playing with Raph. Nothing more. Leo's hand stalled, a tremor running through it and clear down his arm.

"Put it away," Arella purred. "That's a good boy."

Leo didn't want to think about it. But he forced the image into his mind. Forced himself to picture Splinter - broken and dead. He pictured his sensei - his father - clutched in Raph's arms. He pictured Raph's will shattering like it never had as he cried.

That was what was going to happen. If he didn't end this right here, right now.

 _No_...

Arella frowned. "I don't think you're listening to me," she said, sounding like she was growing impatient. "Put your arm up, put the sword back, and get on your knees. _Now_."

Leo's entire body was trembling now as he raised his arm. Sweat was streaming down his face from the effort to fight the command his own body was forcing him to obey. His arm continued to raise, until it was high above his head. His left hand reached up to join the right, clenching tightly around the hilt of his katana.

And with a sharp exhale of breath, he brought his katana down with all of his might.

There was a flash of silver. For a moment it was like time had stopped.

And then Arella's head fell from her body and rolled next to his foot. Her body crumpled to the pavement.

There was a clatter as his katana slipped from his fingers. Leo brought his trembling hands up to grip his head, which suddenly started to throb sharply. Oh, god...

"Oh god, what have I done?" he whispered.

He hated Arella. But he had loved her, too. And he had killed her. He wasn't supposed to kill - he was supposed to protect.

What had he done?

Still clutching his head, he dropped to his knees and started to sob as he was flooded with more emotion than he could control. He kept expecting the body in front of him to change - that was what happened in the movies - but it didn't. Arella didn't move. No blood gushed out of her neck. The black eyes staring sightlessly at him from her severed head didn't blink.

She was dead.

A hand rested on his shoulder; Leo looked up and saw Don standing over him. There were tears in Don's eyes, and he was shaking, but he was reaching for him. Comforting him.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Don whispered as he held him. "You did what you had to do."

For a moment Leo didn't understand why Don was holding him - and then he realized that he was clinging to his brother. Clinging to him like he was life itself as he sobbed harder than he had since he was a child.

"I'm so sorry," Don whispered as he held him tighter. "I had no idea you felt like that. We all thought that we were helping you by keeping out of your way; we didn't know we were hurting you, too. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Leo whispered back, sniffling. "I shouldn't have been so gung-ho about it. I should have taken a break once in a while."

Everyone was to blame. Everyone and no one. And now all they needed was to exchange a few words, a simple apology, maybe an awkward laugh or two, and then everything would be the way it was. It was all so simple, so clear now. The throbbing pain in his head had faded, and now it was like a fog had been lifted from his mind. For the first time in weeks, it felt like he was thinking clearly.

Leo wiped his eyes, let go of Don slowly and stood. "Everything's going to be all right now."

There was just one more thing that had to be done.

Understanding, Don helped him wordlessly. He gripped Arella's feet while Leo took her arms, and together they placed her carefully in the flames. Then, almost as an afterthought, Leo lifted her head and placed it on her middle.

The two of them backed away after that and watched from the shadows until the firemen came and put out the flames. By then, there was nothing left of Arella except a small pile of black ash.

It was truly over. He was safe. His family was safe. Feeling physically and mentally exhausted beyond words, Leo took a minute to compose himself, then helped Don take Mikey, who was just starting to wake up, back home.

It was time for all of them to go home.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

"Hey, Leo, try one of these éclairs. They're killer."

Smiling shyly, Leo took one of the chocolate desserts Mikey was holding out to him.

"You've had enough sugar," Raph scolded Mikey. "Hell, you don't even need any; you're so hyper, I swear you were born with caffeine in your veins."

Mikey pouted. "Just for that, I should eat the rest and wash them down with that coffee over there."

"Please don't," said Don, sounding fearful.

Raph and Mikey laughed, and Leo joined them.

Things had returned to normal with surprising ease. When the three of them got home that night - months had already passed since then - Mikey had almost no memory of anything. He remembered meeting Arella and going to visit her once or twice, but that was it. Leo and Don told him that she had abruptly left town.

They told Raph a different story. That she was a criminal - which was close to the truth, given all the people she must have killed over the years - who had given Leo something that made him hallucinate so he wouldn't figure out what she was up to. Also almost the truth; her saliva had nearly driven him insane. He was thankful daily that he had never tasted her blood.

Raph was less than willing to forgive and forget. "You're just lucky I didn't scar," he said one day.

"I said I was sorry," Leo reminded him gloomily.

He had said he was sorry over and over again, but Raph was still mad.

"Yeah, well, keep saying it. Maybe someday I'll think about forgiving you."

Leo had started to cry shortly after that. In the weeks following Arella's death, he had been particularly emotional - probably due to the shock his body had just went through. That was Don's assessment, anyway.

Whatever the cause, it made him cling to his brother and sniffle as he begged for forgiveness. Raph had squirmed in embarrassment. "You've been a real girl lately, you know that?"

This prompted Leo to punch his arm. Raph punched him back, which led to a scuffle - a playful one. Like the ones they used to have when they were young. When it was over, things went back to the way they were - the way they were supposed to be, before their lives started to fall apart.

The only one they told the truth was Splinter. He had sensed something was terribly wrong, that something dangerous and deadly was trying to worm its way into their lives, even before he met Arella face to face, and he didn't doubt their story for a second.

"She was right, you know," he said quietly after they finished. "There _are_ things in this world that we don't have the answer to, things we can't name or explain. Some of those things are wonderful, and some of them are terrible and would do anything to hurt us. Never forget that, or let your guard down."

He didn't have to tell Leo twice. It was only in the last few nights that he had finally started sleeping comfortably again. He had lost count of how many times he had bolted up in bed, sweating and terrified. More often than not, Don woke up with him and comforted him wordlessly.

The experience, as horrific as it had been, had brought the two of them closer together. Formed a bond that hadn't been there before - not like this. Leo smiled at him now; Don returned the smile and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Mikey, a lemon bar in hand, suddenly put a finger to his lips. "Shush," he ordered. "It's starting."

They were up in the choir loft of an old, grand church, a space reserved just for them. They leaned discreetly over the railing and watched as April drifted up the aisle below them.

Mikey sighed wistfully. "She looks so pretty," he said dreamily.

"Sweet ass-spankable," was Raph's opinion. Don snorted and elbowed him.

Leo had to admit, April _did_ look awfully pretty. Instead of a veil she had white flowers pinned in her red-brown hair, and the gown she had finally chosen was both classic and classy. Casey - who had actually combed his hair before squeezing into his tux - looked like he held his breath as he took her hand.

Mikey had his chin propped in his hands as he watched. "Kind of makes me want to take the plunge, too," he murmured.

It was Raph's turn to snort. "Right. When you find a girl willing to date outside her species, let me know."

He paused. "Seriously, let me know. I think it might be fun to date a biker-chick."

Don snickered. "You ever try internet chat rooms? _Everyone_ is anonymous in cyberspace."

Leo smiled softly as he rested his head on his folded arms. His eyes on the ceremony below, he said quietly, "I think I'd rather just stay a bachelor. It's safer."

"Says the only guy here who's ever had a girlfriend," muttered Mikey. "Sort of."

"Sort of," Leo heard Don echo sarcastically under his breath.

Leo turned quiet. Granted, most girls out there weren't that dangerous, since they weren't interested in eating someone for breakfast. Not literally, anyway.

At the altar below, the happy couple finished their 'I dos', and the room broke out in applause. The four of them joined in, though they kept their cheers down.

"I call dibs on Casey's stereo," Raph announced as the pair headed back down the aisle together.

Don rolled his eyes. "We're only apartment-sitting," he reminded him. "We don't get dibs on anything."

"You're a kill-joy, you know that?"

Leo smiled to himself, his eyes drifting over to a nearby stained-glass window. It was still morning, and warm sunlight was filtering in, turning to hues of blue, red, and gold. It was a beautiful sight.

Depicted in the glass of the window was an image of the Madonna. Another beautiful sight - parent and child.

Leo moved away from the railing and went over to Splinter, who was sitting quietly next to the snack table. Splinter smiled softly as Leo sat beside him and took his hand in his own.

Leo had always loved Splinter dearly - they all did - but these days he felt closer to him than ever. He felt proud to have been chosen to lead this wonderful family of theirs, and he was going to do everything he could to remain worthy of that position. And he wanted Splinter to be proud of him, too.

At the bottom of the stairs below the loft, someone knocked on the door. "What's the password?" Mikey asked suspiciously.

"Open the door or I'm going to get extremely angry?" April suggested sweetly.

Mikey unlocked the door with a pert frown. "Lousy password; you have to pay a toll now."

April rolled her eyes, then put a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. Looking embarrassed, Mikey stepped back so she could come in.

"We're about to head to the reception hall," April said as she climbed the stairs, hefting her long skirts in her hands. "But I wanted to come say goodbye first."

"Where's Casey?" wondered Raph.

"Off arguing with the photographer about something," April reported, with another roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, well, you just tell that big goon he'd better take good care of you. Because I won't hesitate to beat some sense into him if he doesn't."

April's smile was warm as she reached to hug him. "Thanks. I will."

She hugged Mikey next, followed by Don. When his turn came, Leo held her tightly before he let go again. "Thanks for being our friend," he said softly.

"Hey, for you guys? Anything."

"Sorry we didn't get you a wedding present," Don said hesitantly.

When they got home that night, months ago, Leo had spied Arella's painting and...it kind of had an accident after that.

"Oh, don't be silly; having you five as friends is a present in itself."

April bent down to say goodbye to Splinter, kissing his cheek before turning and hurrying back downstairs to her new husband.

"Is everybody gone?" Mikey wondered after she left.

Don glanced over the railing. "Yup."

"Guess we'll just have to eat all this food they left here ourselves," Mikey sighed, rubbing his hands together as he went back to the snack table.

"We'll force ourselves," Raph agreed.

Leo laughed softly and accepted the lemon bar Raph passed him. "I could eat," he said mildly.

In fact, he had put on a few extra pounds recently. It gave him an excuse to roughhouse with Raph more.

"You know something?" Mikey noted as he poured them all glasses of punch.

"Life is good?" Don guessed.

"How'd you know?" Mikey asked with a grin.

Grinning back, Don took a glass and passed it to Leo, who grinned in return. "To the most awesome newlyweds alive," he said. "And to the most awesome family ever."

His brothers murmured their agreement and clinked the cheap punch glasses together.

"And..." Leo suddenly said as another thought struck him.

"And?" Mikey echoed, sounding irritated as he held his glass to his anxious lips.

Leo smiled. "And to this awesome life we're living. It might not always be easy, but no one can change who and what we are. No one can tell us what we can and can't do."

"Here, here," said Raph, with approval.

Mikey showed his own approval via downing his glass in one gulp and eagerly going back for more. Leo sat down next to Splinter again, who smiled knowingly.

Leo was just grateful that he was able to continue living this life he had. And while he might be a ninja, and something other than human, two things that kept him in the shadows...his heart, soul, and mind were full of light.

 _~Fin~_


End file.
